Family: Turkey Holding North Carolina Pastor Prisoner for Being a Christian

Breitbart - 48-year-old pastor Andrew Brunson of Black Mountain, North Carolina, was arrested in Turkey last October after performing missionary work in Turkey for 23 years.

He was not informed of the allegations against him until December when prosecutors revealed that a “secret informant” had alleged he was a member of an “armed terrorist organization.” His family says Turkey is persecuting Brunson for his religious beliefs and is appealing to Congress and the Trump administration for help.

Rev. Brunson and his wife Norine were longtime residents of the Turkish city of Izmir at the time of their arrest. They ran a small Protestant church, the Izmir Resurrection Church, which World Watch Monitor describes as having a congregation of 30 to 40 members. The Brunsons were awaiting renewal of their residence visa but were instead arrested and held incommunicado.

At first, they were told they would be deported within 15 days, due to activities that posed a “national security risk.” Mrs. Brunson was released after 13 days, but Andrew remains incarcerated.

Continue reading this article here.