Rodolfo Gonzalez Cruz

Rodolfo González Cruz (Camagüey Province, July 28, 1937) is a Cuban–Peruvian evangelical pastor, missionary and writer, also known for his business ventures and his support for political causes. He was the founder of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Peru. An anti-communist and a defender of youth and marriage, for which he was recognized by various Peruvian authorities. The works he promoted included an international media network, Bethel Television, and a radio network known as Bethel Radio, of which He was president and promoter of these two chains named in one, Bethel Communications, he installed commercial establishments for the sale of books with Christian foundations designated as Altamira Investments. He founded schools, institutions and educational communities called Elim International, aligned to theological bases, located in different urban and regional venues of the Peruvian territory globally called Elim Educational Association.

González was born in the province of Camagüey. When he was a teenager, he converted to Christianity and after a good time as a worker he dedicated himself to ministering in various regions of the Cuban country, through radio communication, reaching national prominence within the Pentecostal Christian Church of Cuba, an organization through which he assumed the presidency until the mid-1960s, when he joined Puerto Rican evangelist Luis M. Ortiz. In 1967, he was convicted by the Cuban Government on the grounds of his evangelization and received a three-year sentence. González evangelized throughout his prison stay and when he was secretly released for a decade. In 1981, he arrived in Peru and founded the Pentecostal Christian Church of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, based on conservative and family-oriented teachings based on new interpretations of the Bible.

In 1984 he was appointed president of the organization. Since assuming the presidency, González had been characterized by his Pentecostal preaching focused on theocentrism. In the mid-1990s, he would join the international board of the Worldwide Missionary Movement. He was criticized for economic abundance through tithes and offerings, his relationship with politics, including Keiko Fujimori, and was targeted by the prosecution after listening to an audio related to a speech that encouraged "killing homosexuals". In his missionary perspective, he began to carry out campaigns and conventions for preaching, being one of his most notable works due to the large number of people converted to Christianity within the history of the World Missionary Movement in Peru. With the advancement of the media, a prominent televangelism focused on the believer's repentance began.

González was a key leader of the revival within the Christian organization that he instituted in Peru; Most of the converts come from the popular sectors of the Andean region, as well as some of them are ex-criminal prisoners who entered in search of rehabilitation.

At the end of the ten years of the new millennium he would leave his international position within the organization. González would continue preaching from his temple established decades ago, standing out in most of his speeches for his fundamental bases of the Holy Scriptures and with a good doctrinal standard which allowed him to spread a teaching full of inspiration for the members of the World Missionary Movement. The following year he took office with his family acquiring the recent temple July 28, in the La Victoria District. In addition, the television signal is broadcast via satellite to more than 60 countries by 43 television stations. By the mid-2000s, since its arrival, it had installed more than 2,200 churches (mostly in the popular sectors of the Andean region), partly formed by ex-criminal inmates who entered in search of rehabilitation. In 2016, González received recognition from the mayor of Chiclayo, David Cornejo Chinguel, who presented him with the city's shield for his social causes in the evangelistic campaign called "Jesus transforms families." which was held at the Elías Aguirre stadium, for the anniversary of the congregation. considering his words as the "most reliable to the gospel", and that his denial leads to expulsion. In 2017 he was targeted by the Prosecutor's Office after listening to an audio of Gonzáles related to a speech that encouraged "killing homosexuals".

Last years In 2018 he left the position of treasurer and official World Missionary Movement at the National Convention in Colombia at the La Macarena Show Center, Medellín due to his age and personal decision.

On July 14, 2021, the Cuban leader decides to end his ministry in the July 28 temple, leaving it in the hands of the Peruvian pastor and theologian, Luis Meza Bocanegra in a thanksgiving service for his long career, in which he received tributes for the believers and would mention: “Beloved people of God, I appreciate your love and appreciation for the missionary work that the Lord has allowed me to carry out. All this time we have seen the fidelity of our Creator guarding and guiding this precious work. We are in victory and there is still work to be done. Forward church of the Lord!" After this ceremony, González would continue to participate in different outstanding events of the work together with pastors from various regional presbyteries.

Personal life On February 8, 1956, he married Yolanda Porro, whom he widowed. Not much time passed and he would join in marriage to the Puerto Rican pastor and missionary, Rita Vázquez on December 15, 1996.

In 2011 his longest-serving preacher and former son-in-law of González, Fernando Moreno, resigned from the Worldwide Missionary Movement due to financing problems that led to an organizational lawsuit, in response he would call his detractors the "sons of the devil".

Books

Enamoramiento, noviazgo y matrimonio (2004) Apocalipsis (2016)