Riaan Swiegelaar made the headlines after announcing that he is no longer going to be part of a Satanist church that he co-founded. This was after he unexpectedly experienced God’s unconditional love.
Quitting his position
Swiegelaar co-founded the South African Satanic Church (SASC) with Adri Norton in February 2020. He said that he joined the SASC at a time when he was “broken” and because he resonated with the things that were being shared in the Satanic church.
The opening of the church caused a lot of controversy, leading to an outcry of varying opinions across social media and news sites all over the world. However, on May 30, 2022, Swiegelaar announced shocking news through a live video broadcast on Facebook.
He revealed that he has resigned from his post as presiding priest of the very controversial church. Aside from that, he said that he is no longer part of the church council and has definitely removed himself as a member of the organization.
Encountering God’s deliverance
Swiegelaar explained in his video the reason for his departure from the organization. He said it all began after he finished an interview with a Cape Town radio station, wherein he proclaimed that he does not believe in the existence of Jesus Christ. What happened next was something that he did not expect.
Apparently, after the interview, a staffer from the radio station walked up to him and gave him a hug that he has never had before.
“She held me in a way that I have never been loved. That’s all she did. She just said it was nice to meet me in person. A week later, I saw on WhatsApp that she is a Christian. I’ve never had a Christian showing me so much love and acceptance unconditionally. That stayed with me,” he said.
A week after that, he encountered Jesus while performing a ritual by himself. He said that Jesus appeared to him so he asked for proof if it was really Him. Then he felt the “most beautiful love and energy” and that’s when he knew that it was really Jesus. He recognized it from what the woman at the radio station showed him.
For the longest time, Swiegelaar has believed that he is not worthy of God’s grace because he is gay and has certain abilities. But now he knows that God’s kingdom and grace is available to everybody. He also spoke about how God’s love is unconditional and how different it is once experienced.
