August (Web-only) 2001

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Mélida Gómez, the pastor's wife, said that their family has no plans to leave their homeland now that her husband is free. "We want Colombia to be known as a country where the power of the Spirit of God is moving," said Mélida.

Her husband plans to continue as pastor of Bogota's 18,000-member Bethesda Missionary Center. He is also part-owner of Authentic Radio, a chain of eight Christian radio stations in Colombia. Since his release, the pastor's life has been a flurry of church services and media interviews, Mélida said.

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia's (FARC) 42nd Front announced at 5 a.m. on August 10 that it planned to free Gómez in the country's southeastern mountain zone in Cundinamarca, the province where he was kidnapped on February 14.

Bogota's El Tiempo newspaper reported that he walked almost two hours down a mountain where he had been held.

When asked why her husband was kidnapped, she said, "He moves multitudes of people, and his is one of the biggest churches in Colombia. [The FARC] believed he was very rich in money, but as he told the press, he's rich in faith and powerful in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gomez family told El Tiempo that no ransom was paid for his release.

"They can talk and ask [for ransom], but we explained the work of the mission, we prayed and we clamored to God with the people," Mélida said."The things of the Lord have their own time, their own purpose. The Bible says all things work together for good for those who believe in the Lord, and nothing deters the will of God. It was a time of growth and maturity for the church."

El Tiempo reported that Gómez was ...