In the heart of Central America, Mountain Gateway Ministry is at the epicenter of a turbulent legal scenario in Nicaragua. What was once a humanitarian and evangelistic outreach has taken a dramatic turn, sparking a controversy that has drawn international attention.
While Nicaraguan authorities accuse the ministry of sending illicit funds for personal interests, the organization’s leaders strongly deny such allegations, claiming that they operated under the supervision and approval of the local government.
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MOUNTAIN GATEWAY MINISTRY IS A CHRISTIAN US BASED ORGANIZATION. FOR SEVERAL YEARS IT HAS SERVED IN CENTRAL AMERICA PLANTING CHURCHES, PROVIDING FOOD TO THE NEEDY, AND HUMANITARIAN AID AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS.
DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE MINISTRY CONDUCTED SEVERAL MASSIVE EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGNS IN NICARAGUA, WITH A TOTAL PARTICIPATION OF MORE THAN ONE MILLION PEOPLE.
ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZATION’S OFFICIALS, THESE CAMPAIGNS WERE APPROVED BY THE NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT.
STEVE LISBY IS THE SPOKESMAN FOR MOUNTAIN GATEWAY:
Steve Lisby –Mountain Gateway: “Each campaign was two nights long, and we had large numbers, I don’t remember all of the numbers… but the totals were over a million people in those eight campaigns. And the last one was in November, that was actually in Managua on the capital plaza and numbers there were somewhere in between 300 and 450 thousand people attending”.
HOWEVER, LAST DECEMBER, THE NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT CANCELLED THE MINISTRY’S LEGAL STATUS AND CHARGED THREE OF ITS U.S. MEMBERS AND ELEVEN NICARAGUAN PASTORS WITH MONEY LAUNDERING.
ACCORDING TO THE NICARAGUAN PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE, THE MINISTRY HAD SENT ILLICIT FUNDS FROM THE US AND USED THEM TO “ATTEND TO PRIVATE INTERESTS SUCH AS THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTIES AND LUXURY VEHICLES.
MOUNTAIN GATEWAY HAS DENIED THESE ACCUSATIONS AND HAS STATED THAT IT OPERATED UNDER THE SUPERVISION AND APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THAT THEY HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO BACK IT UP.
Steve Lisby: “The bases of the charges we believe that are not correct. Everything that we’ve being required to do by the Nicaraguan government in the manner of managing money, we’ve done that, and we have the documentation of that. We came to Nicaragua ‘cause we love the people and because we want to share with them Jesus”.
THE MINISTRY’S LAWYERS HAVE DENOUNCED THIS AS A CASE OF RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL PERSECUTION AND HAVE REQUESTED THE MEDIATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND EVEN THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT.
IN A RECENT PRESS RELEASE, MOUNTAIN GATEWAY CLAIMED THAT DURING A HEARING, THE ACCUSED PASTORS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN COURT BUT HAD TO ATTEND VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE.
THE ORGANIZATION’S SPOKESPERSON ASKED FOR THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITH COMMUNITY IN BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND LATIN AMERICA.
Steve Lisby: “As far as what we would ask, we need prayer, prayer for the family of our pastors and we would ask people to pray for the Nicaraguan government. The Bible tells us to pray for everyone, especially for those in power, in Government. And that’s what we would ask people to do”.
THE MOUNTAIN GATEWAY MINISTRY SAYS IT FOCUSES ON DISCIPLING NATIONAL LEADERS THROUGH HOUSE CHURCHES, CORPORATE WORSHIP, AND TRAINING NATIONAL PASTORS TO REACH THE LOST IN THEIR NATION.
THE CASE IN NICARAGUA IS STILL IN THE HANDS OF THE AUTHORITIES IN THAT COUNTRY AND THE MINISTRY IS USING ALL AVAILABLE LEGAL RESOURCES TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE PASTORS.
FROM SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA IN CENTRAL AMERICA, THIS WAS A REPORT BY JAVIER BOLAÑOS FOR THE GLOBAL NEWS ALLIANCE.
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