Cuba Closing Evangelical Church Amid Wider Crackdown

Cuba Closing Evangelical Church Amid Wider Crackdown
March 17th, 2013 by George Whitten

HAVANA, CUBA (Worthy News)– Hundreds of Christians in Cuba were without
a place of worship after security forces closed down the Full Gospel
Church as part of a government attempt to "destroy" evangelical
congregations on the Communist-run island, rights activists said.

The late February crackdown on the 200-member congregation in Havana
Province was the latest setback for its pastor, Jesus Hernandez, who was
reportedly attacked a week earlier by an armed mob while sleeping at home.

State security agents were seen shutting down and sealing the doors of
the Full Gospel Church, located in the province's Lotería neighborhood
in Cotorro municipality. They also confiscated the church's belongings,
including chairs and musical instruments, said advocacy group Christian
Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

The Cuban Communist Party Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), which
oversees all religious activity, has denied wrongdoing.

ORA's chief Caridad Diego reportedly said that the church building and
everything inside were confiscated because of "a dispute over ownership
of the church [building]."

CHURCH DENIES ALLEGATIONS

Church members counter that the church has existed in its present
location for more than 15 years, led by the same pastor, without problems.

CSW told Worthy News that the "forced closure and confiscation of church
property" followed "a disturbing mob attack" on the home of Pastor
Hernandez at 2am while he was asleep inside.

It cited witnesses as saying that the mob carried "sticks, baseball bats
and also threatened his teenage son."

Following the violence and "church confiscation" Hernandez and other
church leaders failed to "resolve the problem" in meetings with Caridad
Diego and other ORA officials, Christians said.

Church leaders said the Full Gospel Church was targeted because of its
"consistent and rapid growth" and because of the pastor's friendship
with leaders of the Apostolic Movement, a rapidly expanding network of
Charismatic churches.

MOVEMENT CONTROVERSY

The government has refused to allow to register the Movement, and
Christians claim authorities "openly and aggressively" try "to destroy"
it in recent years.

While Full Gospel Church is not affiliated with the Apostolic Movement,
Pastor Hernandez maintains "a good relationship with its leadership,"
CSW said.

CSW's Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston told Worthy News that his group
remains "deeply concerned by the attack on Pastor Hernandez' home and
the threats against his son."

He said, "The closure of the Full Gospel Church and the confiscation of
church property is just one more example of the regular abuse of power
committed by Caridad Diego and the ORA."

Cuba says it will respect religious freedom as part of wider reforms,
but rights activists and local Christians complaint that the rhetoric is
not turned into action towards churches.

GOVERNMENT CRITICIZED

Johnston said the Cuban government should "remove authority for all
religious activity from ORA and deal with these matters through regular
legal channels, which offer recourse for appeal."

He and others urged Cuba's leadership to return the building and
properties to members of the Full Gospel Church, but there were no signs
Thursday March 14, that authorities were willing to back down.

The controversy emerges while the man named as Cuban President Raul
Castro's chief lieutenant and expected successor must quietly fend off
any challenges from within the Communist-run island's secretive citadel
of power.

Miguel Diaz-Canel has five years to get started, after Castro said last
month he would step down at the end of his new term.

Yet, local Christians, rights activists and exiles wonder whether
changing the nameplate outside the presidential office will change a
system they regard as repressive and autocratic.

http://www.worthynews.com/12188-cuba-closing-evangelical-church-amid-wider-crackdown