Hopegivers Schools, Offices Reopen After 4-Month Closure
After more than four months of forced closure, Emmanuel Mission’s schools, bank accounts and offices reopened in India’s largest state on Wednesday.
Emmanuel Mission International (EMI) - which has over 20,000 churches, 96 orphanages and 200 schools in its network – greeted the reopening of its institutions in Kota, Rajasthan, as it awaits a critical court hearing.
Hopegivers International, the U.S. sponsor of EMI, reported that operating licenses for all its establishments in the northern state have been temporarily restored as it awaits a judicial hearing on July 4 at the High Court in the state capital of Jaipur.
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“This means that our bank accounts started to operate today. We praise God for this breakthrough,” said Michael Glenn, Hopegivers International executive director in a statement released on Wednesday. “We have been anxiously awaiting some relief. Now we can finally send money openly to all our Hope Homes that are in desperate need.”
On Monday, an appeal court judge on the Jaipur High Court asked the Rajasthan state government to appear in court next Tuesday to provide reason for canceling the licenses of EMI/Hopegivers International institutions in Jaipur.
The humanitarian organization has had its bank accounts frozen and licenses to operate its outreaches revoked since February. However, most of the institutions remained open despite the official bans.
Schools are expected to officially open on Saturday but with hundreds of fewer students because of a highly publicized propaganda campaign aimed at discouraging parents from sending their children to Christian schools operated by Emmanuel/Hopegivers, reported the organization.
“We urge all Americans to join the churches of India in prayer on July 4, asking that the licenses will be permanently restored,” said Glenn.
