Wiccans Stir Up Controversy in Small Illinois Farming Town

Controversy in a small farming town in Illinois has been bubbling and boiling ever since the witches moved in about a year ago.

A group of Wiccans recently opened a shop and online school in the middle of Rossville, Ill., a town of 1,200 people with one stoplight and four churches.

The group says they do not worship the devil or conjure up evil spells. They say they just want to practice their religion, honoring earth and nature.

"If the people who don't want us here learn more about us, they're not necessarily going to agree with us or like us anymore but at least they won't be afraid of us," said the Rev. Don Lewis of the Witch School.

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Some community members are upset over what kind of influence the Wiccans will have on the Christian community.

"I just don't like what they bring into a community and I am concerned about youth; young people are growing up, are just forming their opinions and could be drawn into something that wouldn't really be good for their lives," said Carolyn Barragree, township superviser.

"I think that they bring a negative, dark influence when what we would like to see is the light in our community," Barragree added.

Rossville has had its share of trouble in recent years with factories shutting down, the high school closing and a growing methamphetamine problem among the town's teenagers.

Some residents worry that a witch school could make the problems worse.

The shop sells candles, incense and mini-spells.

"We have some very attractive spell books, which we sell," Lewis said.

Church members say they prayed for weeks over it, afraid of what the group's presence will do to the community.

Said Andy Thomas of the Church of Christ: "We believe that Satan can use the school as a tool to affect people's lives in negative ways."

FOX News' Steve Brown contributed to this report.