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Crusader Televangelists are known for their loyal
fan bases. At the same time, they make for some of the most disloyal and dishonest characters.
Benny Hinn is a shining example of it. His popularity boomed after building an empire
on his preachings and alleging God gave him the power to heal people.
While numerous media outlets and undercover investigations have widely disputed his claims,
he has remained a strong name in his ever-expanding community of faithful followers.
As time has gone by, his so-called Healing Crusades became more like "Healing Charades."
But we can't help but wonder, even after on-camera proof that Hinn is a liar,
why do people still go to him for "healing?" (CTA to like video)
Non-traditional Beginnings Benny Hinn was born in Jaffa,
Israel, in 1952. A newly founded state, the conflicts in Israel would soon disrupt
the lives of many of its residents, forcing them to migrate. Hinn's family was forced to
move in 1967 because of the Arab-Israeli war. Commonly known as the Six-Day War,
this confrontation between Israel and the Arab coalition (formed by Jordan, Syria,
and Egypt) was one of many altercations that caused instability in the lives of many locals.
Hinn's family migrated to Canada, where he was raised Eastern Orthodox.
It wasn't until high school that he was introduced to Evangelical Christianity.
By 21, he became a born-again Christian, much to his parent's worry. His favorite pastor,
evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman, became an influential figure in his life,
as many draw comparisons between her and Hinn's style.
Years later, after moving to the U.S., he founded the Orlando Christian Center in 1983.
This was the start of his meteoric rise as one of the most famous televangelists in the
world. He started performing "healing services" in churches across the nation. Claiming God had
selected him personally, he embarked on his signature "Miracle Crusades," which were held
at large stadiums all over the country and looked more like an elaborate rock concert.
In 1989, he held his first televised Miracle Crusade. It wasn't long after
that he got his own daily TV show: This Is Your Day. Added to this,
Hinn published various books about his ministry, faith, and life and sold them with much success.
In comparison, many famous televangelists are born in the southern states—mainly because of
the popularity of Christian beliefs in their culture. Hinn's case stands out as an anomaly:
an Israeli citizen raised in Canada who went on to use his wit to preach the words of his gospel.
“Healing” Commencement It wasn't long before
Hinn started drawing crowds to his ministry– something that generated a lot of criticism
from other Christian leaders. Having grown his following impressively over a few years,
Hinn decided to step down as pastor in Orlando and moved to Texas.
This was when he renamed his church the Faith World Church. Hinn re-branded as Pastor Benny.
As a pastor, he turned himself into one of the strongest proponents of Prosperity Gospel,
a commercial approach to faith that allowed him to make millions of dollars. In this system of
beliefs, his followers cling to the idea that faith is a source for health, personal success,
and, of course, wealth. The only way to achieve this was by expressing their faith—monetarily,
of course. Hinn told his followers that in order to reach prosperity,
they should hand "seeds" of money to the ministry. By doing this,
the person will be granted healing and success. "The message of prosperity is in
the Bible. We cannot deny that if we give, we will receive", is a motto he lived by.
At the height of his popularity in the '90s, Pastor Benny drew 7,000 people to his Sunday
services. At one point, his Miracle Crusades would draw around 28,000 people per event. His
ministries brought in $15 million a year between donations and his crusades. Of that $15 Million,
Hinn receives a "salary" of $116,000, but the holy man claims to return it every year.
Hinn preached a "humble lifestyle," but an Inside Edition report proved he owned a $685,000 home in
Florida and was driving a Mercedes-Benz. As part of a religious organization,
he is not under legal pressure to make his finances public nor pay taxes on any "income.:
Perhaps most damning was a "plant" sent in by inside edition who pretend to have
Cerebral Palsy. Hinn brought him up on stage and claimed to heal him. The "healing" made it on TV.
Behind The Curtain There has been tough criticism pointed at Hinn
from all directions, including other Christian ministries, television, and media. Questions
about his wealth and the legitimacy of his tactics have been the center of attention for decades.
Like many public figures of power, he has granted several TV crews access to his services. For Hinn,
the more attention, the better. It seems that after the Inside Edition investigation in 1993,
the media has been paying close attention to everything Pastor Benny has been doing.
This is when the game shifted. Ever since that piece aired, he became very selective about
granting interviews, even stating how the Inside Edition coverage was a wake-up call. There was a
transformation in his demeanor, and he even cut his hair and stopped wearing his Rolex watches.
Unfortunately, this change of faith seems to be a game he plays constantly.
But what has gathered the most attention are his claims of being anointed by
God– the performances where he is in direct contact with the Holy Ghost and has "heavy
visions." The control he exerted on his crowds was a hypnotic trick. His combination of subtle,
soft words and loud mannerisms took people on a mental journey that made them believe anything.
But he insists he is not the healer; God himself works through him. He has gone as far as saying
that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit had bodies and souls. This is where most Christians
drew the line with him. According to other ministries, this is "tritheism," a division
of God in three equal parts, which is not what a monotheistic religion like Christianity promotes.
A Question of Miracles Most fraud accusations against Hinn
focus on his so-called "healing miracles," specifically, using the vulnerability of
people with terminal illnesses to his advantage. A 2001 documentary called A Question of Miracles
focused on the stories behind the people that searched for healing in Pastor Benny's hands.
These people believe so strongly that Benny could heal them that they
were blind to his charade. They were the sugar-pill candidates in a medical trial.
In the heat of the moment, right in the middle of Hinn's over-the-top performances, people truly
felt like they were being healed. However, no real evidence that they were healed was ever found.
However, the firm belief that they had been in close contact with God –through Hinn's hands–
remained intact. It seems that a performance like this, in front of thousands of people, creates a
chemical and emotional event that persuades them to do and believe physically impossible things.
But were his miracles real? In the documentary, an older woman claims God, through Hinn,
healed her broken vertebrae. A logger who needed a double hip replacement claimed
he was healed at Hinn's touch. A woman who had both her lungs compromised with cancer
was miraculously healthy; another woman starts jumping with emotion when she can suddenly
move her hands. None of these cases were ever confirmed to be any kind of medical miracle.
As for the older woman with the broken back, an X-ray after Hinn's event confirmed her back was,
indeed, still broken. The logger's hips got worse. The pain became so unbearable
he couldn't function. But, because of Hinn, he refused pain medication and treatment his
doctors called "imperative." The woman with lung cancer, whom Hinn claimed to have healed,
died nine months later after her condition worsened.
Do You Believe In Miracles?
In 2004, an in-depth investigation revealed what was expected: his whole act was a huge scam.
The Fifth Estate, an investigative news show from Canadian network CBC, used hidden cameras to blow
the lid of Hinn's ministry. And it turns out; everything was a performance. His "healings,"
the arguments he used to confirm his anointing, and even the way they selected those who were to
be "healed," it was all a sham. A production crew would intercept visibly ill people like
quadriplegics and stop them from coming on stage to the healing ritual. One woman, in particular,
was in distress when trying to get her daughter to Hinn– they were crying as they left the arena
after being turned away by the crew and not granted the opportunity to be healed by Hinn.
One of the most notorious cases was Grace Brulotte, a Canadian girl with curvature
of the joint who was hoping to be healed by Hinn. While at a service, her mom tried
to approach Pastor Benny, only to be stopped by his screeners, never reaching the stage for the
"healing." During a service in Toronto, Justin Peters, an evangelist with Cerebral Palsy who was
writing a thesis on Hinn, tried to approach the stage to see Hinn's healing firsthand.
Because of his visible disability, he wasn't allowed anywhere near.
Senate Investigation A U.S. Senate investigation was opened
in 2007 that targeted several ministries, Hinn included. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley noted the
luxury and extravagance many of these preachers lived by and wanted the IRS to be more aggressive
when investigating their earnings. While the investigation received pushback and backlash from
evangelical groups, Hinn decided to cooperate and received praise for this action. The investigation
ended in 2011 with no definitive findings, but Grassley was happy to say that some of the
investigated preachers vouched to self-reform without the need for government intervention.
His lack of transparency has been a constant, even with how he acquires his possessions.
A few years ago, he was reported to have actively asked his congregation to donate $1000 each so he
could get himself a private jet. A Gulfstream G4SP jet was bought with his followers' money in 2007
for a whopping $37 million. And, of course, the only way to justify his asking was through God,
as he had been chosen by God himself to be sent to help others...on his private jet.
Family Values One of the most shocking
revelations was that of his nephew Costi Hinn, a fellow Christian preacher, who came about publicly
speaking against his uncle. A few years later, in a new investigative report,
he speaks about Hinn's manipulation of crowds and the "testimonies" of healing. He never
saw a person be healed by Hinn's hand. He has become one of his biggest opponents,
challenging preachers like his uncle, who sell deceptive hopes to those in need. Costi
Hinn even wrote a book about the million-dollar business his uncle created with his "miracles."
Many have praised Costi's bravery for facing his uncle and exposing the scam behind his business.
Hinn's lawyers went public and denied all his nephew's claims stating they were deceptive.
Hinn's Miracles Today As expected, none of
the healed persons recovered because of Hinn. For some, it was a bad lesson, but for others,
it was an eye-opening experience. That was the case of little Grace, now a grown woman,
who spent most of her life wanting to be healed by Hinn and was rejected. Although
her condition is permanent, she was able to teach herself how to excel
and live with her condition. She even –for the first time in her life– walked inside a pool.
For others, it became a mission of accountability. William Vandelkok, a man who is legally blind, was
supposed to be healed by Hinn from his condition when he was nine years old. He approached Hinn
during one of his ceremonies and actually felt like he was seeing people's faces clearly.
Hinn had told him he would get 20/20 vision, if not better. He went back home and noticed he
couldn't see the TV. Hinn's ministry claimed to have prepared a fundraiser for Vandelkok and
his family, but they never saw a penny– when they called to ask about the money raised,
they were stalled and taken back and forth between departments.
Vandelkok has publicly asked for justice from Hinn, stating he abused people's faith.
Backtracks Although Hinn
has been one of the biggest supporters of the prosperity gospel, he's been inconsistent when
it comes to sticking with it. While preaching prosperity earned him millions of dollars,
he's said that receiving money in the name of God is an offense. Hinn was critical and
even rejected the prosperity gospel for the first time in the late '80s and then again in the 90's–
the time when he decided to cut his hair and stop wearing his Rolex. After a while,
though, he seemed to rekindle his love of the gospel and went straight back.
The last time he renounced the prosperity gospel was in 2019 during his TV show.
Surrounded by a live audience, he went on as far as saying that receiving seed money from
his congregation was something offensive to God. Many critics in the Christian world believe he
is attempting some sort of damage control, especially regarding all the attention his
financial gimmicks have raised with the public and the authorities. And even though Hinn seems
to have had a profound change of heart, he still lives a remarkably lavish lifestyle.
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