The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded by angels, by Giaquinto, 1750s.

Holy Spirit is a term found in English translations of the Bible, but understood differently among the Abrahamic religions.^[1][2]

While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos is a general feature of most religions (e.g. Brahman in Hinduism and Tao in Taoism and Great Spirit among Indigenous peoples of the Americas), the term Holy Spirit specifically refers to the beliefs held in the Abrahamic religions.^[3][4]

For the majority of Christians, the belief in the Holy Trinity implies the existence of three distinct Holy Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit being One Eternal Triune God. This doctrine and designation, however, are not shared by all Christian denominations, or the other Abrahamic religions.^[5][6]

Christianity[link]

For the majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit (prior English language usage: the Holy Ghost from Old English gast, “spirit”) is the third person of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is Almighty God.^[7][8][9] The Holy Spirit is seen by mainstream Christians as one Person of the Triune God, who revealed His Holy Name YHWH to his people Israel, sent His Eternally Begotten Son Jesus to save them from God's wrath, and sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify and give life to his Church.^[10][11][12] The Triune God manifests as three Persons (Greek hypostases),^[13] in One Divine Being (Greek: Ousia),^[14] called the Godhead,^[15] the Divine Essence of God.^[16]

Judaism[link]

The term "holy spirit" only occurs three times in the Hebrew Bible. (Found once in Psalm 51:11 and twice in Isaiah 63:10,11) Although, the term "spirit" in the Hebrew Scriptures, in reference to "God's spirit", does occur more times. In Judaism, God is One, the idea of God as a duality or trinity among gentiles may be Shituf (or "not purely monotheistic"). The term Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) is found frequently in Talmudic and Midrashic literature. In some cases it signifies prophetic inspiration, while in others it is used as a hypostatization or a metonym for God.^[17] The Rabbinic “Holy Spirit,” has a certain degree of personification, but it remains, “a quality belonging to God, one of his attributes” and not, as in mainstream Christianity, representative of “any metaphysical divisions in the Godhead.”^[18]

In Judaism, the references to The Spirit of God, Ruach HaKodesh, The Holy Spirit of YHWH, abound, however it has rejected any idea of The Eternal God as being either Dual or Triune. The term ruach ha-kodesh (Hebrew: רוח הקודש, "holy spirit" also transliterated ruah ha-qodesh) occurs once in Psalm 51:11 and also twice in the Book of Isaiah ^[19] Those are the only three times that the precise phrase "ruach hakodesh" is used in the Hebrew Scriptures, although the noun ruach (רוח, literally "breath" or "wind") in various combinations, some referring to God's "spirit", is used often. The noun ruach, much like the English word breath, can mean either wind or some invisible moving force.^[20]

However, Shekinah is derived from the Hebrew verb שכן. In Biblical Hebrew the word means literally to settle, inhabit, or dwell, which suggests the concept of a Holy Spirit, and is used frequently in the Hebrew Bible. (See Exodus 40:35, "Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, for the cloud rested [shakhan] upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle." See also e.g. Genesis 9:27, 14:13, Psalms 37:3, Jeremiah 33:16), as well as the weekly Shabbat blessing recited in the Temple in Jerusalem ("May He who causes His name to dwell [shochan] in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship").

Islam[link]

In Islam, the Holy Spirit (Arabic: الروح القدس al-Ruh al-Qudus, "the-Spirit the-Holy") is mentioned several times in the Qur'an, where it acts as an agent of divine action or communication. In Hadith it is commonly identified with the angel Gabriel (Arabic Jibreel). The Spirit (الروح al-Ruh, without the adjective "holy") is also used as the creative spirit from God by which God enlivened Adam, and inspired the angels and the prophets. The belief in Trinity, as it is defined in the Qur'an, is explicitly forbidden by the Qur'an and called a grave sin. The same applies to any idea of the duality of God (Allah).^[21][22] Though grammatical gender has no bearing on actual gender in non-personal nouns, the term holy spirit translates in and is used in the masculine form in all the Qur'an. In Arabic language the word "Holy Spirit" does not translate as سكينة Sakinah used in a feminine term. The term sakinah means state of relaxation.

Bahá'í Faith[link]

The Bahá'í Faith has the concept of the Most Great Spirit, seen as the bounty of God.^[23] It is usually used to describe the descent of the Spirit of God upon the messengers/prophets of God, which are known as Manifestations of God, and include among others Jesus, Muhammad and Bahá'u'lláh.^[24] In Bahá'í believe the Holy Spirit is the conduit through which the wisdom of God becomes directly associated with his messenger, and it has been described variously in different religions such as the burning bush to Moses, the sacred fire to Zoroaster, the dove to Jesus, the angel Gabriel to Muhammad, and the maid of heaven to Bahá'u'lláh.^[25] The Bahá'í view rejects the idea that the Holy Spirit is a partner to God in the Godhead, but rather is the pure essence of God's attributes.^[26]

See also[link]

	Christianity portal
	Spirituality portal

• Baptism with the Holy Spirit
• Barakah
• Cult of the Holy Spirit
• Gender of the Holy Spirit
• God in Christianity
• Intercession of the Spirit
• Pneumatology
• Spirit of God

References[link]

Francis Chan
Francis Chan
Born	August 31, 1967 Chinatown, San Francisco, CA
Nationality	American and Hong Kong through birthright
Education	Bachelor of Arts— Master's College Master of Divinity— Master's Seminary
Occupation	Pastor, author, educator
Religion	Christian
Spouse	Lisa Chan
Children	five children, four daughters and one son.

Francis Chan (born 1967) is an American preacher. He is the former teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA, a church he and his wife started in 1994.^[1] He is also the Founder and Chancellor of Eternity Bible College^[2] and author of the best-selling book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, which came out in 2009.^[3] He released his second book Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit in August 2009. He also sits on the board of directors of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact.

Chan is known for speaking at major national and international events and conferences.^[4][5][6][7]

Cornerstone and Chan's ministry[link]

Chan and his wife founded Cornerstone in 1994 with only 30 people. Within two months, the church had grown to 100 people, and by 2000, Chan was leading a $1 million project to provide for the 1,600 member congregation.^[8] Cornerstone is now one of the largest churches in Ventura County, California.^[9]

In 2005, Francis was the featured speaker in a now international video called Stop And Think (JustStopAndThink.com) which virally travelled, landing in every state and 30+ countries.

Chan regularly uses a variety of approaches to ensure his messages are engaging and relevant.^[10][11]

Chan frequently talks about 'What the Bible is really saying' and really living our lives that way. He is not afraid of confronting lukewarmness,.^[12]

On Sunday, April 18, 2010, Chan announced to his congregation that he felt called to resign at Cornerstone in Simi Valley to pursue what God had laid on his heart. As of April 2010 he stated he was not yet sure what city God had called him to,^[13] but by June 2011 stated publicly he felt called to San Francisco, CA.

Biography[link]

Chan is a self-described Hong Kong native, with his parents hailing from Hong Kong.^[14]

Francis Chan's mother died giving birth to him. Chan's father remarried and his stepmother died in a car accident when he was 9 years old. His father remarried when he was 10. His father then died of cancer when Chan was 12 years old. Francis Chan was then raised by his stepmother Josephine Chan along with his older sister Grace, older brother Paul and much younger half-sister, Gloria. He had family support from his father's younger sister and her husband, Marion and William Wong, along with a large extended family and church family. He did not get along well with his father growing up, but says that his fear of his father has helped him understand a level of fear of God. He also stated he didn’t understand the love of God well until he became a father himself.^[1]

As a high-school and then junior-college student, Chan was active in Christian youth groups which helped develop his faith in Christ and his interest in ministry.^[1]

Before becoming a senior pastor, Francis worked for a variety of employers including Taco Bell, Mic Pizza, Kirby Company, Ralphs Market, Broadway Mens Clothing, hardwood flooring contractors, and the Acapulco restaurant.^[15]

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Master's College and a Master of Divinity degree from Master's Seminary.^[16]

After a three-month leave from Cornerstone, Francis said he felt convicted to sacrifice more for God. Chan gives away about 90 percent of his income, doesn't take a salary from his church, and has donated most of his book royalties, which have totaled about $2,000,000, to various charities. Much of it goes to organizations which rescue sex slaves in foreign countries."^[17] Furthermore, in 2008 it was reported that Cornerstone would give away 55% of its income to charitable causes.^[18]

Personal life[link]

Francis Chan is married to Lisa Chan and they have five children, four girls and one boy.

Bibliography[link]

• Chan, Francis; Danae Yankoski (2008). Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. David C. Cook. ISBN 978-1-4347-6851-3. 
• Chan, Francis; Danae Yankoski (2009). Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. David C. Cook. ISBN 978-1-4347-6795-0. 
• Chan, Francis; Matt Daniels (2010). Halfway Herbert. David C. Cook. ISBN 978-0-7814-0418-1. 
• Chan, Francis; Matt Daniels (2010). The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village. David C. Cook. ISBN 978-0-7814-0419-8. 
• Chan, Francis; Preston Sprinkle (2011). Erasing Hell: What God said about eternity, and the things we made up. David C. Cook. ISBN 978-0-7814-0725-0. 

External links[link]

• Francis Chan's Webpage
• Francis Chan's Blog
• Cornerstone Church
• Crazy Love Book
• Eternity Bible College
• Forgotten God
• BooksChristian Author Page

References[link]

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (November 2010)

David Ray Wilkerson (May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011^[1]) was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade. He was the founder of the addiction recovery program Teen Challenge, and founding pastor of the non-denominational Times Square Church in New York.

Wilkerson's widely distributed sermons, such as "A Call to Anguish," are known for being direct and frank. He emphasized such Christian beliefs as God's holiness and righteousness, God's love toward humans and especially Christian views of Jesus. Wilkerson tried to avoid categorizing Christians into distinct groups according to the denomination to which they belong.^{[citation needed]}

Wilkerson was killed in a car crash in Texas on April 27, 2011.^[1]

Ministry[link]

Wilkerson served as a pastor in small churches in Scottdale and Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, until he saw a photograph in Life Magazine in 1958 of seven New York City teenagers charged with murder.^[2] He later wrote that as he felt the Holy Spirit move him with compassion, he was drawn to go to New York in February 1958. It was then that he began a street ministry to young drug addicts and gang members, which he continued into the 1960s.^[2] Later in 1958, he founded Teen Challenge,^[3] an evangelical Christian addiction recovery program affiliated with the Assemblies of God, with a network of Christian social and evangelizing work centers.^[4]

Wilkerson gained national recognition after he co-authored the book The Cross and the Switchblade in 1963 with John and Elizabeth Sherrill about his street ministry. The book became a best-seller, with over 50 million copies in over thirty languages, and is included in Christianity Today's "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals".^[5] In the book, Wilkerson tells of the conversion of gang member Nicky Cruz, who later became an evangelist himself and wrote the autobiographical Run Baby Run. In 1970, The Cross and the Switchblade was turned into a Hollywood movie starring Pat Boone as Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as Cruz.

In 1967, Wilkerson began Youth Crusades, an evangelistic ministry aimed at teenagers whom Wilkerson called "goodniks"—middle-class youth who were restless and bored. His goal was to prevent them from becoming heavily involved with drugs, alcohol, or violence. Through this ministry, the CURE Corps (Collegiate Urban Renewal Effort) was founded. It was intended to be something of a Christian version of the Peace Corps and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).^{[citation needed]}

In 1971, Wilkerson moved his ministry headquarters to Lindale, Texas, where he founded World Challenge, an organization whose mission is to promote and spread the Gospel throughout the world.^{[citation needed]}

Wilkerson believed that in 1986, while walking down 42nd Street in New York City at midnight, the Holy Spirit called him to return to New York City and to raise up a ministry in Times Square. He founded and became the pastor of Times Square Church,^[1] which opened its doors in October 1987. The church first occupied rented auditoriums in Times Square (Town Hall and the Nederlander Theater), later moving to the historic Mark Hellinger Theatre, which the ministry purchased in 1989 and in which it has operated ever since.^{[citation needed]}

From the 1990s, Wilkerson focused his efforts to encourage pastors and their families throughout the world to "renew their passion for Christ". In his own words:

"I've been an evangelist for 50 years, but I didn't want to preach to pastors until I had gray hair, until I'd pastored. Now after 15 years of pastoring, sharing the hurts, pains, and difficulties of the ministry as a pastor, I felt the Lord finally release me, that I might have something to say."^{[citation needed]}

Wilkerson and his wife Gwen moved to New York City at the inception of Times Square Church in 1987, and in 2006 began splitting their time between New York and Texas. They have four children and eleven grandchildren.^{[citation needed]}

Prophecies[link]

Wilkerson claimed to have received a vision in 1973 regarding the future of the United States, subsequently published in a book called The Vision. Some of the subject areas of this reputed prophecy were: "Worldwide recession caused by economic confusion"; "Nature having labor pains"; "A flood of filth and a baptism of dirt in America"; "Rebellion in the home"; and "A persecution madness against truly Spirit filled Christians who love Jesus Christ".

Death[link]

On April 27, 2011, while driving east on US Route 175 in Texas, Wilkerson crossed into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a tractor trailer. He was pronounced dead on the scene. His wife was injured.^[6]

Rev. Wilkerson's last blog post stated the following: "To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights," he wrote, "and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, `I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident."'^[7]

Bibliography[link]

This article lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs. If the {{Cite book}} or {{citation}} templates are in use, you may add ISBNs automatically, or discuss this issue on the talk page. (April 2011)

• The Cross and the Switchblade (with John and Elizabeth Sherrill) . Jove. 1962. ^[2] , ISBN 0-5150-9025-5
• America's Last Call, On the Brink of a Financial Holocaust ^[8] (1998), ISBN 0-8836-8617-1
• Beyond The Cross and the Switchblade (1974), ISBN 0-8912-9151-2
• Born Old (1966) original title The Little People, ISBN 0-5510-1076-2
• David Wilkerson Exhorts the Church (1991) ISBN 9780829703962
• David Wilkerson Speaks Out (1973), ISBN 978-0871230911
• Dearly Beloved ^[9] (2009), ISBN 0-9712187-4-9
• End Times New Testament ISBN 978-0912376110
• Get Your Hands Off My Throat (1971), ISBN 978-8472281332
• God's Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression ^[10] (1998), ISBN 978-0883686164
• Hallowed Be Thy Names ^[11] (May 2001) ISBN 0-9709326-0-X
• Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately?^[12] (1980) ISBN 0-8007-8481-2
• Hey, Preach . . . You're Comin' Through! (1968) ISBN 978-0891290643
• Hungry For More of Jesus ^[13] (February 1992) ISBN 978-0800792008
• I'm Not Mad at God (1967), ISBN 978-0871232458
• I've Given Up On Parents (1969), ISBN 978-0340108291
• Jesus Christ Solid Rock: The Return Of Christ (with Kathryn Kuhlman, Hal Lindsey and W. A. Criswell) (1973), ISBN B0006CB6QO
• Jesus Person Maturity Manual, ISBN B0006VUOTU
• Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book (1972), ISBN B001YQF2ZM
• The Jesus walk: Selected " why's " and " how-to's " for a closer walk with Christ (A Regal Jesus Person Maturity book) (1972), ISBN 978-0830701711
• Life on the Edge of Time (1972) ISBN 978-0800705534
• Man, Have I Got Problems (1969) ISBN 978-0515046687
• My Bible Speaks to Me
• The New Covenant Unveiled ^[14] (April 2000), ISBN 978-0966317237
• One Way To Where? (1972), ISBN 978-0830701698
• Parents on Trial (1967), ISBN B00005WKI6
• Pocket Promise Book (1972), ISBN 0-8307-0191-5
• Pocket Proverbs (1983), ISBN 0-8307-0893-6
• Promises To Live By, ISBN 978-0830718870
• Purple Violet Squish (1969), ISBN 978-0551000483
• Racing Toward Judgment (1976), ISBN 978-0800782764
• Rebel's Bible (1970), ISBN 978-0551007512
• Revival on Broadway ^[15] (September 1996), ISBN 978-0966317206
• Rock Bottom (pamphlet) (1981), ISBN B00071PA5C
• Set the Trumpet to thy Mouth (1985), ISBN 978-0883686409
• Sipping Saints ^[16] (1978), ISBN 0-8007-8339-5
• Suicide (1978), ISBN 978-0800786434
• This Is Loving? (1972), ISBN 978-0830701704
• Triumph Through Tragedy ^[17] (2001), ISBN 978-0800793562
• Twelve Angels from Hell (1965), ISBN 978-0551004238
• The Untapped Generation (with Don Wilkerson) (1971), ISBN 978-1135577704
• Victory Over Sin and Self (1980) Originally titled Two of Me, ISBN 978-0800784348
• The Vision (1973), ISBN 0-515-03286-7.
• What Every Teenager Should Know About Drugs (1971), ISBN 978-0551050679
• When In Doubt, Faith It! (1972), ISBN 978-0830701681

See also[link]

• Nicky Cruz
• Teen Challenge
• Times Square Church

References[link]

External links[link]

• Wilkerson's blog
• Wilkerson's website
• Times Square Church
• Report of his death

Joseph Prince (born May 15, 1963, Singapore) is the senior pastor of New Creation Church in Singapore, one of Asia's biggest churches.^[1] He was one of the young pioneers who founded the church in 1983.^[2]

Background[link]

Joseph Prince, the son of a Sikh priest of Indian origin and a Chinese mother, ^[3]spent his primary school years in Perak, Malaysia.^[3]

Prince changed his birth name to Joseph Prince during his previous occupation as an IT consultant. ^[3]

Prince has been invited to preach at churches in Australia, London, USA, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, South Africa and Indonesia.^[4] Notably, he was invited to preach at the Grace & Favour Seminar at Hillsong Church^{[1][dead link]} Sydney and Hillsong London^[5] in 2006. In 2007 and 2008, he was invited to speak at the Hillsong Conferences in Sydney and London. In 2009, he was invited to speak, alongside Joel Osteen from Lakewood Church, at the 2 Days of Hope Conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa.^[6]

Prince's TV program "Destined to Reign" is broadcast in more than 150 countries. ^[7] His broadcast program is also streamed online through Internet and podcasts for viewers.^[8]

Prince publishes books, CDs and DVDs.^[9] In 2007, his book Destined to Reign: The Secret to Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living, which contains teachings from his ten years of preaching from 1997 to 2007, was published in Singapore ^[10] and the US. Six months after the book's US release, it was listed as one of Christian Retailing's Top 100 Books.^[11] In 2010, Prince's latest book "Unmerited Favor" was published worldwide by Charisma House.^[12]

Prince was featured in the cover story of the June 2010 issue of the Charisma (magazine), which covered his preaching and teaching ministry.^[13]

On October 29th 2011, Prince ministered in the US for the first time at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He also preached at two more services the day after.

Questions about his church salary[link]

In 2004, Prince asked New Creation Church to stop paying him a salary. The church's council members,however, refused his request.^[14][15]

On 5 October 2008, in an interview with The Sunday Times, Prince, the executive chairman of the church council, while acknowledging that he was "well-paid", added that "money doesn't have a hold on me". He dismissed allegations that his salary was $50,000 a month, saying "It could have been $50,000 if I had not voluntarily taken all the pay cuts through the years. There was a system of payment that would actually enrich me greatly but as the church grew, I refused to accept that system of payment."^[3]

On 30 March 2009, The Straits Times reported that a check revealed that New Creation Church paid one employee between $500,001 and $550,000 in its last financial year of 2008. Singapore's Code of Governance for charities ^[16] requires all charities and non-profit organizations in Singapore to disclose top executives' salaries to the Commissioner of Charities. While the church would not confirm that the amount in question had been paid to Prince, church officials told The Straits Times that the church's policy is to "recognise and reward key contributors to the church and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church's growth and revenue."The New Creation Church's income was reported to be $55.4 million for the financial year ending March 2008.^[17]

On 7 June 2010, The Straits Times and Channel News Asia reported that Joseph Prince has not been on the church payroll since 2009.^[14][15]

Personal life[link]

Joseph Prince is married to Wendy Prince.^[3] They have a daughter, Jessica Shayna Prince, and a son Justin David Prince^[18]

References[link]

External links[link]

• New Creation Church
• Joseph Prince Ministries
• Practice Grace

Benny Hinn
Born	Toufik Benedictus Hinn (1952-12-03) December 3, 1952 (age 59) Jaffa, Israel[1]
Occupation	Televangelist Author Speaker
Spouse	Suzanne Harthern (m. 4 August 1979, Divorced)
Children	three daughters, one son

Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn (Greek: Τουφικ Βενέδικτος "βενι" Χιν, Arabic: توفيق بندكتوس "بني" الحن‎, Hebrew: תאופיק בנדיקטוס (בני) הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your Day.^[2]

History[link]

Hinn was born in Jaffa, in 1952, in the then newly-established state of Israel^[3] to Palestinian Christian parents. He was raised within the Eastern Orthodox tradition.^[4]

Soon after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War (a.k.a. "The Six-Day War)", Hinn's family emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he attended but later prematurely left the Georges Vanier Secondary School. In his books, Hinn states that his father was the mayor of Jaffa at the time of his birth, and that as a child, he was socially isolated and was handicapped by a severe stutter, but was nonetheless a first-class student.^[5] These claims, however, have been disputed by critics of Hinn.^[6] As a teenager in Toronto, Hinn converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Pentecostalism, eventually joining a singing troupe made up of young evangelicals. According to a 2004 CBC report on Hinn, his newfound religious devotion during this period became so intense that his family became concerned that he was turning into a religious fanatic. Hinn was taught the bible and mentored by Dr. Winston I. Nunes of Broadview Faith Temple in Toronto.^[7]

He has written that on December 21, 1973, he traveled by charter bus from Toronto to Pittsburgh to attend a "miracle service" conducted by evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman. Although he never met her personally, he often attended her “healing services” and has often cited her as an influence in his life.^[5]

Upon moving to the United States, Hinn traveled to Orlando, Florida, where he founded the Orlando Christian Center in 1983. Eventually, Hinn began claiming that God was using him as a conduit for healings, and began holding healing services in his church. These new "Miracle Crusades" were soon held at large stadiums and auditoriums across the United States and the world, the first nationally televised service being held in Flint, Michigan, in 1989. During the early 1990s, Hinn launched a new daily talk show called This Is Your Day, which to this day airs clips of supposed miracles from Hinn's Miracle Crusades. The program premiered on the Trinity Broadcasting Network of Paul Crouch, who would become one of Hinn's most outspoken defenders and allies. Hinn's ministry began to rapidly grow from there, winning praise as well as criticism from fellow Christian leaders. In 1999, he stepped down as pastor of the Orlando Christian Center, moving his ministry's administrative headquarters to Grapevine, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, while hosting This Is Your Day from a television studio in Orange County, California, where he now lives with his family. His former church was renamed Faith World Church under the leadership of Clint Brown, who merged his Orlando church with Hinn's.

Ministry and theology[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Benny Hinn

Benny Hinn is a well-known Christian evangelist and Bible teacher who practices faith healing. He is the author of a number of best-selling inspirational Christian books. His thirty-minute TV program This Is Your Day is among the world’s most-watched Christian programs, seen on various Christian television networks, including Trinity Broadcasting Network, Daystar Television Network, Revelation TV, Grace TV, Vision TV, INSP Networks, and The God Channel.

Hinn conducts regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing events held in sports stadiums in major cities throughout the world. Tens of millions attend his Holy Spirit Miracle Crusades each year.^{[citation needed]} Benny Hinn claims to have spoken to one billion people through his crusades, including memorable crusades with attendance of 7.3 million people (in three services) in India, the largest healing service in recorded history.^[8][9][10] Notable individuals have credited their healing to Benny Hinn, such as Evander Holyfield, who was diagnosed with a non-compliant left ventricle, and stated that through God working through Hinn, he was healed as he had "a warm feeling" go through his chest as Hinn touched him.^[11][12]

Hinn's teachings are Evangelical and charismatic, accepting the validity of spiritual gifts, and Word of Faith in origin, with a focus on financial prosperity. Some doctrine and practices that Hinn teaches would be thought unusual in mainstream Christianity.^[13] The charismatic Christian community (who, according to a recent study by The Barna Group, make up 46% of United States Protestants and 36% of United States Catholics),^[14] is very diverse, and Hinn's ideas would only be accepted in some constituencies.^{[citation needed]}

Missions[link]

Benny Hinn Ministries claims to support 60 mission organizations across the world and several orphanages around the world, and claims to house and feed over 100,000 children a year and support 45,000 children daily because of his donors. ^[15][16]

Benny Hinn Ministries donated $100,000 for Relief Supplies to Hurricane Katrina Victims in 2007, and $250,000 to Tsunami Relief Effort in 2005.^[17]

Criticism and controversy[link]

A controversial aspect of Hinn's ministry is his teaching on, and demonstration of, a phenomenon he dubs "The Anointing"—the power purportedly given by God and transmitted through Hinn to carry out supernatural acts. At Hinn's Miracle Crusades, he has allegedly healed attendees of blindness, deafness, cancer, AIDS,^[18] and severe physical injuries. However, investigative reports by the Los Angeles Times, NBC's Dateline, the CBC's The Fifth Estate, and the Nine Network's 60 Minutes have called these claims into question.

Hinn has also caused controversy for theological remarks and claims he has made during TV appearances. In 1999, Hinn appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, claiming that God had given him a vision predicting the resurrection of thousands of dead people after watching the network—laying out a scenario of people placing their dead loved ones' hands on TV screens tuned into the station—and suggesting that TBN would be "an extension of Heaven to Earth".

False Prophecies[link]

Hinn is notable for his mistaken prophecies relating to the end times, including the destruction of homosexuals in the USA, the death of Fidel Castro in the 1990s, and the end of the world in 1992 and 1999.^[19]

[edit] A Question of Miracles

In April 2001, HBO aired a documentary entitled A Question of Miracles that focused on Hinn and a well-documented fellow Word-of-Faith German minister based in Africa, Reinhard Bonnke.^[20] Both Hinn and Bonnke offered full access to their events to the documentary crew, and the documentary team followed seven cases of "miracle healings" from Hinn's crusade over the next year. The film's director, Antony Thomas, claimed to CNN's Kyra Phillips that they did not find any cases where people were actually healed by Hinn.^[21] Thomas said in a New York Times interview that "If I had seen miracles [from Hinn's ministry], I would have been happy to trumpet it...but in retrospect, I think they do more damage to Christianity than the most committed atheist."^[22]

"Do You Believe in Miracles"[link]

In November 2004, the CBC Television show The Fifth Estate did a special titled "Do You Believe in Miracles" on the apparent transgressions committed by Benny Hinn's ministry.^[3] With the aid of hidden cameras and crusade witnesses, the producers of the show demonstrated Benny's apparent misappropriation of funds, his fabrication of the truth, and the way in which his staff chose crusade audience members to come on stage to proclaim their miracle healings.^[3] In particular, the investigation highlighted the fact that the most desperate miracle seekers who attend a Hinn crusade—the quadriplegics, the brain-damaged, virtually anyone with a visibly obvious physical condition—are never allowed up on stage; those who attempt to get in the line of possible healings are intercepted and directed to return to their seats. At one Canadian service, hidden cameras showed a mother who was carrying her Muscular Dystrophy-afflicted daughter, Grace, being stopped by two screeners when they attempted to get into the line for a possible blessing from Benny. The screeners asked the mother if Grace had been healed, and when the mother replied in the negative, they were told to return to their seats; the pair got out of line, but Grace, wanting "Pastor Benny to pray for [her]", asked her mother to support her as she tried to walk as a show of "her faith in action", according to the mother. After several unsuccessful attempts at walking, the pair left the arena in tears, both mother and daughter visibly upset at being turned aside and crying as they explained to the undercover reporters that all Grace had wanted was for Benny to pray for her, but the staffers rushed them out of the line when they found out Grace had not been healed.^[3] A week later at a service in Toronto, Baptist evangelist Justin Peters, who wrote his Masters in Divinity thesis on Benny Hinn^[23] and has attended numerous Hinn crusades since 2000 as part of his research for his thesis and for a seminar he developed about the Word of Faith movement entitled A Call for Discernment,^[24] also demonstrated to the hidden cameras that "people who look like me"—Peters has cerebral palsy, walks with arm-crutches, and is obviously and visibly disabled—"are never allowed on stage[...]it's always somebody who has some disability or disease that cannot be readily seen." Like Grace and her mother, Peters was quickly intercepted as he came out of the wheelchair section (there is one at every crusade, situated at the back of the audience, far away from the stage, and never filmed for Hinn's TV show) in an attempt to join the line of those waiting to go onstage, and was told to take a seat.^[3]

This segment was later edited with new footage and shown on Dateline: NBC in November 2005.

Ministry Watch issues "Donor Alert"[link]

In March 2005, Ministry Watch, issued a Donor Alert against the ministry.^[25] Benny Hinn Ministries is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.^[26]

BHM raises funds for a Gulfstream jet[link]

In December 2006, BHM sent out a mailing asking for donations towards a new Gulfstream G4SP jet valued at an estimated US$36 million and costing over US$600,000/year to maintain and operate.^[27] The 22-seat craft was purchased in 2007 and christened "Dove One".

Senate investigation[link]

On November 6, 2007, United States Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa announced an investigation of Hinn's ministry by the United States Senate Committee on Finance. In a letter to BHM,^[28] Grassley asked for the ministry to divulge financial information^[29] to the Senate Committee on Finance to determine if Hinn made any personal profit from financial donations, and requested that Hinn's ministry make the information available by December 6, 2007. The investigation also scrutinized five other televangelists: Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, Eddie L. Long, Joyce Meyer, and Creflo Dollar.^[30][31] On December 6, 2007, Hinn told the Associated Press that he would not respond to the inquiry until 2008.^[32] Hinn's ministry has since responded to the inquiry, and Senator Grassley commented that, "... Benny Hinn [has] engaged in open and honest dialogue with committee staff. They have not only provided responses to every question but, in the spirit of true cooperation, also have provided information over and above what was requested."^[33]

Personal life[link]

Hinn married Suzanne Harthern on August 4, 1979.^[34] The couple have four children together. Harthern filed papers in Orange County (California) Superior Court on February 1, 2010, seeking a divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences".^[35][36]

In July 2010, both Hinn and fellow televangelist Paula White denied allegations in the National Enquirer claiming that the two were engaged in an affair.^[37] In February 2011, Hinn was sued by the Christian publishing house Strang Communications, which claimed that a relationship with White did occur and that Hinn had violated the morality clause of his contract with the company.^[38]

Bibliography[link]

• Benny Hinn. Kathryn Kuhlman: Her Spiritual Legacy and Its Impact on My Life. W Pub Group. ISBN 0-7852-7888-5. 
• Benny Hinn. Good Morning, Holy Spirit. Nelson Books. ISBN 0-7852-7176-7. 
• Benny Hinn. He Touched Me an Autobiography. Nelson Books. ISBN 0-7852-7887-7. 
• Benny Hinn. The Anointing. Nelson Books. ISBN 0-7852-7168-6. 
• Benny Hinn. Welcome, Holy Spirit How You Can Experience The Dynamic Work Of The Holy Spirit In Your Life. Nelson Books. ISBN 0-7852-7169-4. 
• Benny Hinn. This Is Your Day for a Miracle. Orlando, FL: Creation House. ISBN 0-88419-391-8. 
• Benny Hinn. The Biblical Road to Blessing. Nashville, Tenn: Thomas Nelson Inc. ISBN 0-7852-7517-7. 
• Benny Hinn. Miracle Of Healing. Nashville, Tenn: J. Countryman. ISBN 0-8499-5399-5. 
• Benny Hinn. The Blood. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House. ISBN 0-88419-763-8. 
• Benny Hinn. Going Deeper with the Holy Spirit. Benny Hinn Ministries. ISBN 1-59024-039-1. 
• Benny Hinn. Lord, I Need a Miracle. Nashville, Tenn: Thomas Nelson Inc. ISBN 0-8407-6251-8. 
• Benny Hinn. Total Recovery, Supernatural Restoration and Release. Dallas, Texas: Clarion Call Marketing, Inc. ISBN 1-59574-038-4. 

See also[link]

• Charismatic movement
• Kathryn Kuhlman
• Prosperity Gospel
• Televangelism
• Word of Faith

References[link]