Christ Embassy is taking the Advertising Standards Authority (ASASA) and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) to court. The church is trying to get part of an ASASA ruling against it overturned.

The Final Appeal Committee of the Advertising Standards Authority has ordered the Christ Embassy advertisement on e.tv of 22 November 2009 to be withdrawn in its current format. Essentially that means that Christ Embassy will not be able to run adverts on television that make faith-healing claims.

The ruling is important for several reasons. It clarifies questions about religious freedom, what constitutes an advert and, importantly for people who lodge complaints against quack adverts, appendix F of the Advertising Code.

Following a complaint from the Treatment Action Campaign, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that an advertisement by Christ Embassy must be withdrawn. The adverts show the church's proprietor, pastor Chris Oyakhilome, allegedly faith-healing people with life-threatening diseases. The ruling has set off a lively debate, discussed in this article. (Originally published in the Weekend Argus, 19 February 2011)