Ron Cantrell, 59, and his wife Carol, 54, have run a small Jerusalem-based group, ‘Shalom Shalom Jerusalem,’ for the past four years. Cantrell previously worked for Bridges for Peace, an evangelical organization, for fourteen years. Two of the couple’s children have married Israelis and have Israeli ID cards, Israeli media said.
Yet the Cantrell’s request for permanent residency was turned down, BosNewsLife learned Friday, August 17, apparently because of their evangelical activities. Interior Ministry officials said the decision was made following suspicions that Cantrell was involved in missionary work, The Jerusalem Post news paper reported.
Israeli authorities have banned active Christian mission work among Jews. However Ron Cantrell has denied he was involved in mission work among Jews, saying his organization "only collects money for Israel and social projects among new immigrants" to the Jewish state, including Jews from the former Soviet Union.
While working for Bridges for Peace, Cantrell received a special residence permit but that was changed into a temporary "tourist visa" when he began his activities for ‘Shalom Shalom Jerusalem’, the pastor said. A tourist visa has to be renewed every three months. Cantrell said he wanted to change "this unworkable situation" by applying for "a permanent residence permit" but Israeli authorities declined to give him this document.
FUTURE UNCLEAR
It was not immediately clear if and when Pastor Cantrell will be able to return to Israel. The case has underscored concerns among foreign Christians working in Israel about what they see as growing pressure of Orthodox Jewish groups and authorities on evangelical believers.
Despite these developments, there are underground evangelical churches in Israel attended
by Jewish people, BosNewsLife learned from well-informed sources speaking on condition of
anonymity.
In a commentary, The Jerusalem Post said the issue also made clear "the delicate balancing act evangelical Christian supporters of Israel face, between proselytizing, which is banned in Israel, and their fundamental belief that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land was foretold in the Scriptures and heralds the return of the Messiah." (With reporting by BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent Eric Leijenaar and Stefan J. Bos)
