A CHURCH in North Petherton has boldly revealed its support for groups being persecuted by IS terrorists by posting a symbol on its railings.

St Mary’s Church vicar the Rev Jane Haslam has put up a large poster on the railings depicting an Arabic letter ‘N’ for Nazarene, which stands for Jesus of Nazareth.

The vicar told the Mercury it was to show solidarity for all minority groups which were being made to leave their homes or be killed to show the church was confronting serious world issues.

People have already been posting on Twitter saying they are surprised by the bold statement.

The sign has already been seen by a lady visiting England from Iran who then felt able to venture into the church and introduce herself.

The Rev Haslam said: “As a Christian it’s hard to imagine here anyone saying convert, leave or die. It’s a hard choice.

“Putting this sign up shows how as a church we feel this is unacceptable.

“We are raising money for people who have been displaced as well as praying for them.

“This sign is making a stament that we might be in the UK but we feel for their plight and we want to do what we can to show that to others.

“The sign has already been used by a lot of social media but we want to show others who may not be familiar with this by putting up a sign closer to home.”

The symbol has also gone up on other churches in the area under the Rev Haslam’s leadership, including those in North Newton, Thurloxton and Durston.