Social Service an excuse for Missionary work

In 2011, March, The department of child and women welfare secured over 29 children, who were kept at Ebenezer prayer hall at Haleyngadi railway gate without proper documents. The children were staying at the prayer hall, which is under Bethel Ministries, Bangalore. The hall was headed by Joy. He was assisted by his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Joyal in running the centre.

While 18 of the children are from the state, seven are from Bihar and the rest are from other northern states. The incident came to light when locals complained to gram panchayat president Mahabala Salian that the prayer hall was letting out waste water in the surroundings. Mahabala Salian noticed that Children were living in a cramped hall and reported it to the Mulky police, Child Welfare Committee and Department of Women and Child Welfare officials.

The children, barring two, were boys aged between three and 15. One among the boys is 17 years old. A medical examination of the 11 year old minor girl showed that an attempt had been made to molest her. Based on that information Joy was arrested. There were no proper records of the children, no details of how they are being funded and the centre did not maintain books of account. According to the children, 80% of the children from North Karnataka were brought in by pastors. There were two Nepalese and six Mizo students from a theological college from Bangalore, who were at the centre engaged in teaching English and music.

The rescued boys are in Balakara Bhavan under the custody of the Child Welfare Committee. Girl children are protected in undisclosed location.

Bethel Ministries is a US based global evangelical organization committed to prayer, preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Internationally, this mission is accomplished through worldwide crusades with the help of foreign missionaries and the training of foreign nationals to reach the lost, within their own countries. Bethel also sponsors the building of churches, feeding and education of orphan children and the financial support of foreign missionaries.