Preacher Benny Hinn in Nigerian money complaint

[Tock]

http://news.bbc.co.uk:80/1/hi/world/africa/4619733.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 27 June, 2005

Pastor Hinn in Nigerian money row
By Sola Odunfa
BBC Focus On Africa magazine

Benny Hinn is one of the most successful TV evangelists in the US
In late April, scores of giant billboards and thousands of wall posters all over Lagos proclaimed the first of three days of divine miracles and healing for at least six million Nigerians - but at the end of the third day, there was more bickering over money than praise to God for mercy received.

The vehicle of the expected wonders of the Holy Spirit was the UNited States-based evangelist Benny Hinn, who flew into Nigeria in a Gulfstream private jet with a large retinue that included his bodyguards.

He was received at Lagos airport in a motorcade of Hummer jeeps and other expensive cars.

The deaf would hear, the blind would see, the lame would jump and walk, barren women would conceive, the jobless would gain employment, and the enemy - both seen and unseen - would be vanquished. Mention any problem - physical, spiritual, economic - Hinn had come with the instant solution.

But things did not go well.

Expenditure

About 300,000 people attended the event each night - a modest congregation by Nigerian crusade standards. It is estimated that about 1 million worshippers attend the monthly Holy Ghost Congress service organised by The Redeemed Christian Church God (RCCG) at the same venue.

Whatever disappointment he felt on the first and second days of the miracle crusade, Hinn kept to himself - but he opened up with anger on the final day.

"Four million dollars down the drain," he shouted into the microphone from the huge rostrum.

He said that he had been assured by the local organising committee that at least six million people would attend the crusade - but the total turnout was only around one million. As a result, he realised that all the mega public address equipment he had flown in from the US was not needed.

He also complained about some claimed expenditures, the charges imposed on pastors who attended his day-time seminar, and journalists who sought to cover the crusade.

He then announced publicly that he would not provide any more funds, and that the local organisers should pay all outstanding bills from the collections they made on the first two days.

Hinn's complaints instantly overshadowed the spiritual context of the event. Some people from the congregation came out to declare that they received healing and other miracles after the prayers, but they were hardly audible.

The Nigerian head of the local organising committee, Bishop Joseph Olanrewaju Obembe, accused other Nigerian Pentecostal preachers of sabotaging the crusade and peddling false information to Hinn and his aides out of envy, and to discredit him.

Soon after the crusade, a committee was set up by the leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) - the umbrella body of Pentecostal churches nationwide - to investigate the funding controversy.

Big spenders

The Pentecostal faith in Nigeria is a veritable goldmine, judging by the opulence of most of its pastors.

It is made even more attractive because incomes of churches are tax-exempt. Nearly all the churches are the private property of their pastors or founders and their immediate families.

In an economic environment in which the majority of Nigeria's estimated 130 million population has been impoverished by unemployment, lack of basic social infrastructure and rising inflation, the church has become the last refuge for many people.

The favoured churches are the new-generation Pentecostal assemblies, that are owned and managed solely by fast-talking American-style pastors.


Christianity is growing rapidly in Nigeria
Rich and powerful Nigerians run after the pastors for "spiritual protection" from imaginary 'enemies' who, they are convinced, are lurking around the corner to pull them down.

These are the big spenders in the churches.

The attraction, perhaps, lies in the often-quoted biblical injunction that "givers never lack" and the fact that most pastors don't ask the donors how they make the money they give.


Devoted service

In March 2003, a cashier at a five-star hotel was arrested for allegedly stealing nearly 40 million naira (then about US$400,000) from his employer.

His colleagues were shocked because there was nothing to suggest that he was living above his means - he had no car and he lived in a rented flat in a non-fashionable part of Lagos.

The man confessed that he gave all the money to his Pentecostal church in cash and equipment.

In another case a bank clerk stole 40 million naira from his employer and gave 10 million to his church as 'seed money' in the belief that the seed would germinate and yield several fold as promised by his pastor.

Many Nigerians believe that a large number of pastors are honest and devoted to the service of God and mankind.

But they readily take umbrage under the Yoruba saying that "only God knows who serves Him truly."

[PROTEINSHAKE]

un-friggin-believable..... what a scumbag

[alphaman]

Even though this thread's purpose is to demoralize the Christian Church -- I'll have to agree on this one. Benny Hinn's got problems.

[Tock]

Even though this thread's purpose is to demoralize the Christian Church -- I'll have to agree on this one. Benny Hinn's got problems.

Nope, that's not the purpose of this thread.
The purpose of this thread, as is true of most threads, is to inform and entertain.
Just to make you feel better, though, I will cheerfully admit that many religious folks do wonderful things. The reason you don't hear about too many of them is primarily because there isn't any money to made in making them public.

So I'm in favor of religious folk, non-religious folk, and even anti-religious folk doing wonderful things because of, or even in spite of, their religious opinions.

Cool. Cool? Cool . . .

[alphaman]

Nope, that's not the purpose of this thread.
The purpose of this thread, as is true of most threads, is to inform and entertain.
Just to make you feel better, though, I will cheerfully admit that many religious folks do wonderful things. The reason you don't hear about too many of them is primarily because there isn't any money to made in making them public.

So I'm in favor of religious folk, non-religious folk, and even anti-religious folk doing wonderful things because of, or even in spite of, their religious opinions.

Cool. Cool? Cool . . .

You are full of it. 99% of your threads are just like this. I'm not the only one who sees this......

Anyone else want to weigh in on this one???

[givemethejuice]

You are full of it. 99% of your threads are just like this. I'm not the only one who sees this......

Anyone else want to weigh in on this one???

I will second that. Tock sure does get a kick out of posting stuff like this but guess what, we all sin! From now on, everyday I am going to search the internet and see if I can find all the evil things homosexuals do everyday.

[Tock]

From now on, everyday I am going to search the internet and see if I can find all the evil things homosexuals do everyday.

Be my guest, I'm sure you won't have to look very far.

The difference between what gays do and what preachers do, is that preachers claim that they are better than gay people, because of they have the "Regenerative power of God:"

http://www.christinyou.net/pages/regoman.html
Regeneration is the restorational re-lifing of man spiritually with the life of God.

and gay people make no such absurd claim.


So, when preachers, like Ted Haggard, who was the head of a 25 million member Christian Fundamentalist organization that campaigned against gay interests, all the while spending $$$ for sex with a gay prostitute, that's hypocrisy on a newsworthy scale.

When self-righteous anti-gay anti-immorality TV evangelists like Jimmy Swaggart raise millions of $$$ preaching against homosexuality, and then get caught paying cheap sleazy hookers for sexual gratification, that's hypocrisy on a newsworthy scale.

When scam-artists like Rev. Peter Popoff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Popoff
claim that God gives them divine knowledge and it turns out to be a scam involving hidden radio transmitters, that's hypocrisy on a criminal and newsworthy scale.


So, if you don't like it when their hypocrisy is brought to the light of day, well tough. If you want to retaliate by showing how stupid gay people can be, go ahead; see if I care. I know (firsthand) how stupid gay people can be. But unlike some obnoxious Christians I know, no one is saying that gay people are any better than anyone else.

[Tock]

Well, all I did was reprint, without comment, a story originally published by the BBC.

Would you also accuse the BBC of trying to demoralize the Christian Church?
Would you be happier if nobody ever published or repeated stories such as these?

[Logan13]

I find it very revealing that ole' Carlos never has anything to say about your religious themed posts, which comprise the majority of your posts, but has much to say to others in regards to it and usually closes them. Since he may sight that this is in the news, I assure you that I will be going through all news outlets looking for a particular theme myself. And if there is a one-sided attempt to block further posts, I will go higher. It is not just the regular members who can be told that if they do not like what is being posted here then they should simply go elsewhere, it applies to everyone.....
-Logan13

http://news.bbc.co.uk:80/1/hi/world/africa/4619733.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 27 June, 2005

Pastor Hinn in Nigerian money row
By Sola Odunfa
BBC Focus On Africa magazine

Benny Hinn is one of the most successful TV evangelists in the US
In late April, scores of giant billboards and thousands of wall posters all over Lagos proclaimed the first of three days of divine miracles and healing for at least six million Nigerians - but at the end of the third day, there was more bickering over money than praise to God for mercy received.

The vehicle of the expected wonders of the Holy Spirit was the UNited States-based evangelist Benny Hinn, who flew into Nigeria in a Gulfstream private jet with a large retinue that included his bodyguards.

He was received at Lagos airport in a motorcade of Hummer jeeps and other expensive cars.

The deaf would hear, the blind would see, the lame would jump and walk, barren women would conceive, the jobless would gain employment, and the enemy - both seen and unseen - would be vanquished. Mention any problem - physical, spiritual, economic - Hinn had come with the instant solution.

But things did not go well.

Expenditure

About 300,000 people attended the event each night - a modest congregation by Nigerian crusade standards. It is estimated that about 1 million worshippers attend the monthly Holy Ghost Congress service organised by The Redeemed Christian Church God (RCCG) at the same venue.

Whatever disappointment he felt on the first and second days of the miracle crusade, Hinn kept to himself - but he opened up with anger on the final day.

"Four million dollars down the drain," he shouted into the microphone from the huge rostrum.

He said that he had been assured by the local organising committee that at least six million people would attend the crusade - but the total turnout was only around one million. As a result, he realised that all the mega public address equipment he had flown in from the US was not needed.

He also complained about some claimed expenditures, the charges imposed on pastors who attended his day-time seminar, and journalists who sought to cover the crusade.

He then announced publicly that he would not provide any more funds, and that the local organisers should pay all outstanding bills from the collections they made on the first two days.

Hinn's complaints instantly overshadowed the spiritual context of the event. Some people from the congregation came out to declare that they received healing and other miracles after the prayers, but they were hardly audible.

The Nigerian head of the local organising committee, Bishop Joseph Olanrewaju Obembe, accused other Nigerian Pentecostal preachers of sabotaging the crusade and peddling false information to Hinn and his aides out of envy, and to discredit him.

Soon after the crusade, a committee was set up by the leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) - the umbrella body of Pentecostal churches nationwide - to investigate the funding controversy.

Big spenders

The Pentecostal faith in Nigeria is a veritable goldmine, judging by the opulence of most of its pastors.

It is made even more attractive because incomes of churches are tax-exempt. Nearly all the churches are the private property of their pastors or founders and their immediate families.

In an economic environment in which the majority of Nigeria's estimated 130 million population has been impoverished by unemployment, lack of basic social infrastructure and rising inflation, the church has become the last refuge for many people.

The favoured churches are the new-generation Pentecostal assemblies, that are owned and managed solely by fast-talking American-style pastors.


Christianity is growing rapidly in Nigeria
Rich and powerful Nigerians run after the pastors for "spiritual protection" from imaginary 'enemies' who, they are convinced, are lurking around the corner to pull them down.

These are the big spenders in the churches.

The attraction, perhaps, lies in the often-quoted biblical injunction that "givers never lack" and the fact that most pastors don't ask the donors how they make the money they give.


Devoted service

In March 2003, a cashier at a five-star hotel was arrested for allegedly stealing nearly 40 million naira (then about US$400,000) from his employer.

His colleagues were shocked because there was nothing to suggest that he was living above his means - he had no car and he lived in a rented flat in a non-fashionable part of Lagos.

The man confessed that he gave all the money to his Pentecostal church in cash and equipment.

In another case a bank clerk stole 40 million naira from his employer and gave 10 million to his church as 'seed money' in the belief that the seed would germinate and yield several fold as promised by his pastor.

Many Nigerians believe that a large number of pastors are honest and devoted to the service of God and mankind.

But they readily take umbrage under the Yoruba saying that "only God knows who serves Him truly."

[Flagg]

Ooooh Benny HiNN...i thought this was a thread about Benny HiLL.

[Logan13]

Ooooh Benny HiNN...i thought this was a thread about Benny HiLL.

Seriously, so did I.......

[Kale]

Seriously, so did I.......

ROTFLMFAO !!! So did I. We are getting to old dude !!

[Tock]

I find it very revealing that ole' Carlos never has anything to say about your religious themed posts

Sounds like you're upset that your favorite preachers got caught.

I'll tell ya what, if you're gonna be that upset to see these news stories reprinted here, you let me know, and I'll quit. There's nothing I hate to see worse than a grown man pout . . .

Since he may sight that this is in the news, I assure you that I will be going through all news outlets looking for a particular theme myself.

Sounds like a bit of "tit-for-tat" retaliation to me.
Well, go ahead, do your worst.
And speaking of worst, since you're a MENSA member, you might want to raise your spelling standards to MENSA levels.

[alphaman]

Sounds like you're upset that your favorite preachers got caught.

I'll tell ya what, if you're gonna be that upset to see these news stories reprinted here, you let me know, and I'll quit. There's nothing I hate to see worse than a grown man pout . . .






Sounds like a bit of "tit-for-tat" retaliation to me.
Well, go ahead, do your worst.
And speaking of worst, since you're a MENSA member, you might want to raise your spelling standards to MENSA levels.

Yeah, I'm sure Logan's a regular contributor to Hinn's ministry.


Can you drop your agenda and be a real person for a nanosecond?

[Tock]

Yeah, I'm sure Logan's a regular contributor to Hinn's ministry.

Well, his panties are tied up in a knot over something . . .

[alphaman]

Well, his panties are tied up in a knot over something . . .

I'm sure Logan and I aren't the only ones who will notice that you chose only to respond to the first half of that post.

[BajanBastard]

I always thought Hinn was a joke.