Benny Hinn

Tofik "Benny" Hinn (born 1953) is a Christian pastor of Armenian descent and an exponent of the "word of faith" movement in the likes of Oral Roberts, Kathryn Kuhlman, Kenneth Copeland and other noted preachers in this line of belief. He was born in Jaffa, Israel.

Hinn had a profound experience in December 1973 which changed his life, when he traveled by charter bus from Toronto to Pittsburgh to attend a "miracle service" being conducted by Kathryn Kuhlman (1907–1976), a popular healing evangelist. Although Hinn never met Miss Kuhlman personally, he often attended her healing services and has acknowledged the influence that Kathryn Kuhlman made on him in his book, Kathryn Kuhlman: Her Spiritual Legacy and Its Impact on My Life (Hinn 1999).

Hinn started his ministry in Toronto. He became famous in the United States during the 1990s as host of the show This Is Your Day, transmitted by the Trinity Broadcasting Network, a Christian television network. On the show, Hinn practiced faith healing, teaching the doctrine of divine healing, or, a Charismatic Christian doctrine that God provided total healing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. He currently travels the United States and the world, giving evangelistic healing crusades. In Kenya, for instance, an estimated number of over 2 million people attended the crusade.

Hinn has himself become a point of controversy within the Christian community. Whilst many Christians have expressed belief that Hinn is truly an instrument of God, others believe that he is not, saying that a person can be cured only if God wants it. Apart from the issue of whether God uses ministers to heal the sick today, many critics, such as Hank Hanegraaff, have taken issue with Hinn's word of faith doctrines, claiming that he teaches heresy. Hinn has clearly stated in his crusades, however, that the true and only healer in his crusades, is Jesus Christ himself. Hinn expresses that he is only an instrument, used by God in such crusades to teach Jesus Christ as the ultimate and divine healer.

In 2000, the CBC's Witness ran a two-part series about faith healers Benny Hinn and Reinhard Bonnke. On November 3, 2004, the CBC's the fifth estate ran an exposé on Benny Hinn, revealing what appears to be fraudulent activity on his part. Benny Hinn Ministries has not commented on the accusations as of November 12, 2004. Dateline NBC also ran an exposé on Hinn in 2003 and aired a follow-up investigation on March 6 2005 which alleged that Hinn lives a lavish lifestyle, that his ministry uses only a small percentage of its revenues for charitable purposes and that claims of successful faith healing are unsubstantiated and, in some cases, false. The accusations ranges from staying at presidential suites, having "layovers" in exotic places and extremely expensive meals. The evidence presented by the documentary consisted of ministry bills and testimonies from former and current employees. The ministry has denied allegations.

His visit to the city of Bangalore in India generated controversy after Benny Hinn's website proclaimed that he was coming to Bangalore for the biggest 'harvest of souls' for Jesus and local religion organisations in India began disseminating anti-Christian rhetoric. Subsequently, however, approximately 7 million attendend the meetings, including a former Prime Minister of India, and other political ministers.

One of Hinn's most famous statements is "to Jesus belongs all the glory".

External links

• Benny Hinn's Crusade in India
• Benny Hinn Ministries
• Benny Hinn Ministries Doctrinal Statement
• DMoz.org: Benny Hinn — Opposing Views
• Benny Hinn's miracle questioned in Bangalore, a report on Hinn in the Times of India
• Do You Believe In Miracles? – CBC's the fifth estate feature about Benny Hinn.
• Part one and two of CBC Witness' two part series.
• Benny Hinn: Healer or Hypnotist?