Evangelist Bob Buchanon has been threatened with death more times than he cares to remember. In the last 30 years, the former church minister has had to contend with hate mail, ominous late-night calls, crucified cats on his front porch, and even a conspiracy to kidnap his daughter.
His crimes? Rescuing people from the grip of Satanic worship and helping police solve the gruesome murders that so often accompany it.
Buchanon, who has researched satanism for three decades, will spread his message against satanism in a series of lectures in Durban this week.
The evangelist, who holds degrees in religious studies and psychology, is in South Africa at the invitation of the Church of Christ.
"My job is to educate people about Satanism," said Buchanon. "If there's even one person I can get out, or one person I can prevent from going in, my time is well spent," he said.
Satanism lured people in by promising them power over other people and power to do extraordinary things, he said. Those most susceptible included children and teenagers from "disturbed backgrounds".
"Some get involved as a form of rebellion, others because they're promised friendship.
"Satanism is a philosophy of doing your own thing, going by nobody's rules. It has no respect for parents, teachers, policemen, God or the Bible," said Buchanon.
"Satanists are taught that once you get in, you can't get out. I'm trying to convince people that they can get out."
In the US, many former Satanists, including doctors and lawyers, were given new identities and moved to various areas to protect them, he said.
"To enter into an official Satanic church, you've got to do something criminal. This can include drug dealing, sex with minors, kidnapping and animal and human sacrifice," he said.
"In many Satanic crimes, a lot of evidence is destroyed by police and parents because they don't know what to look for."
- The free Lectures Against Satanism will be held daily at 7.30pm at the Westville Civic Centre in Durban until Friday. Contact Basil Cass at 031 702 3715.