by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Nicaragua’s Attorney General has charged three US missionaries and 11 Nicaraguan pastors with money laundering and organized crime, months after the Christians led large Gospel outreaches in the country, CBN News reports.
The missionaries and pastors all serve with the US-founded Mountain Gate evangelistic ministry and had all participated in leading eight large Gospel events in Nicaragua last year. Mountain Gateway has stated it closely followed all regulations in holding its events under strict accounting by in-house staff and budget reviews by the Nicaraguan government, the Christian Post reports.
Prosecutors are understood to claim that nine of the Nicaraguan pastors are innocent and had acted under the direction of US missionaries Jon Britton Hancock, Jacob Britton Hancock and Cassandra Mae Hancock, and Nicaraguan pastors Walner Omier Blandón Ochoa and Maricela de Fátima Mejía Ruiz, the Christian Post reports.
Nevertheless, the nine pastors remain in prison, the Christian Post reports.
“Mountain Gateway would like to publicly state it denies these allegations, and it is saddened by this situation,” the ministry said in a press release. “These charges are based on erroneous information, and Mountain Gateway will do everything in its power to resolve this through diplomatic channels."
Writing to CBN News, co-defendant Hancock said he and his family had been able to get out of Nicaragua but that he is still facing charges.
"The Nicaraguan government has reviewed and approved all of our budgets, so I just don't understand the complexity of what is happening in a country that we dearly love and have done everything we could to help. Please pray with us for the release of our pastors. Pray for their families, and pray that the people of Nicaragua continue to meet Jesus Christ!"
Ruled by dictatorial communist President Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua ranks 30th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.