Rwanda deports American pastor ‘for meeting journalists’

Rwandan officials have deported an American preacher who is deemed controversial after his arrest on Monday.

Evangelist Gregg Schoof was arrested for holding what officials said was an “illegal meeting with journalists”.

Schoof was operating a radio station called  Amazing Grace but the station was banned last year after it broadcast a sermon that described women as “evil”.

Another evangelist Nicolas Niyibikora in the said sermon aired on January 29, 2018 denigrated women referring to them as evil.

The sermon attracted a lot of criticisms from groups including human rights organisations.

The regulator, Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) said Schoof failed to comply with sanctions that arose from the said controversial sermon.

Schoof has now been deported with the Rwandan Directorate General for Immigration and Emigration, Regis Gatarayiha saying he was removed from the country for being a “prohibited immigrant”.

He said the preacher was “involved in activities that cause public disorder”, according to local newspaper The New Times.

Gatarayiha said Schoof ‘s “[work] permit had expired since 6 July 2019. His extended stay had been accorded to him on his request to prepare to leave but his involvement in activities that cause public disorder were not among the allowed preparations to leave the country.”

But on Monday Schoof who has been living in Rwanda with his family since 2003 said in a statement that “I did not come here to fight the government.

I came to preach the gospel. I care nothing about politics. Nor do I care who is president or what party is in power.

But this government has taken a stand against God with its heathen practices. I hope Christians will do their lawful part in all this and simply do what is right and help fix these problems.”

Source: Africafeeds.com