Missionaries leave for US

The three American missionaries left Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, following complaints of violation of visa rules.

Missionaries Terrel Davis Heze, Van Meter Carl Micheal and Taylor David Lee had come to India on business and tourists visas and were charged with conducting preaching programmes in the State.

The Neyyattinkara taluk committee of the Hindu Aikya Vedi had complained against them.

According to police sources, the missionaries were found to have violated the conditions and hence had to leave the country with immediate effect. The missionaries claimed that they were returning to the United States voluntarily.

The Hindu Aikya Vedi had lodged a complaint with the police that these evangelists had violated the visa rules by conducting revival crusade programmes in two places on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, which were later stopped by the police.

Mr Terrel, reputed for his ‘healing’ powers, was invited by the Church of South India (CSI), Amaravila, to address the faithful during the 74 th Amaravila Aikya Convention, which started on Tuesday. However, the police told the Church authorities that Mr Terrell could not attend the function, as he was not supposed to preach while visiting on a business or tourist visa.

According to police, Mr Terrel was informed that if he carried out evangelist activities it would amount to violation of visa conditions. But the Hindu Aikya Vedi representatives alleged that police had failed to question the evangelist on the mission of his visit.

The Hindu Aikya Vedi leaders alleged that the Church was actively propagating conversion in this region and over 62 per cent of the people in Amaravila has already been converted.

There are reports that this is not the first that Mr Terrel is visiting this part of the State and he was engaged in similar activities in the past. "He has been concentrating on this region for the last few years.

"Despite the complaints from the Hindu Aikya Vedi, he had been preaching here. But this time the police acted swiftly since they realised the seriousness of the issue," Gopal, state president of Hindu Aikya Vedi, said.

The recent attack on American evangelist Joseph Cooper at Kilimannoor had made the police alert this time. Since the Hindu Aikya Vedi had registered a strong protest against Mr Terell’s visit to Amaravila.

They had also submitted a mass memorandum to the District Collector in this regard. Other Hindu organisations have also been objecting to missionary activities in Amaravila and nearby areas.

However, the Church authorities said Mr Terrell had not come here for conversion, but to attend a function, which was exclusively for Christians.