Devil’s Lake, North Dakota- A children’s summer camp that was featured in a recent documentary about evangelical Christians has been forced to close after a reported storm of protest. The camp, in Devils Lake, North Dakota, played a central role in the film Jesus Camp, which opened in the US in September.

Jesus Camp focused on the training methods of camp organiser and Pentecostal pastor Betty Fischer and the activities of the children sent to her for instruction by their evangelical parents. Children are shown speaking in tongues and being urged to campaign against abortion. They are warned off reading Harry Potter books, and are told: “in Old Testament times, he would have been put to death.” In one scene, the students appear to be worshipping in front of a cardboard effigy of president Bush.

In the wake of the film’s release, Fischer claims to have received hate mail and abusive phone calls and has seen the camp targeted by vandals. “We have decided to hold different activities in future,” she told Reuters yesterday.