JERUSALEM — An outdoor Christian worship event set to be hosted by the Empowered21 Global Congress in Manger Square, Bethlehem on Friday was abruptly cancelled by the Palestinian Authority governor of Bethlehem, Abdel Fattah Hamayel, due to “significant political and religious pressure.”

The event, which was supposed to be a time of praise, prayer and preaching focused on the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem, which now forms a part of the West Bank, was initially greenlit by the office of Bethlehem Mayor Vera George Mousa Baboun, according to co-chair of the Empowered21 global Spirit-empowered movement, William Wilson, who is also president of Oral Roberts University.

“We received an official letter from the mayor of Bethlehem’s office confirming our event in Manger Square for tomorrow night guaranteeing both space and security. We planned our schedule for this week to honor Shabbat in Israel while at the same time seeking to share God’s love with the Palestinian people into tomorrow night’s event,” explained Wilson in his run-up before breaking the news to thousands of attendees at the Empowered21 Congress at the Jerusalem Pais Arena on Thursday night.

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