MinistryWatch.com Issues Donor Alert for Benny Hinn
Ministry "watchdog," Wall Watchers, has issued a Donor Alert for Benny Hinn Ministries after NBC informed the public of the ministry's use of donor funds for extravagant personal gains.
Ministry "watchdog," Wall Watchers, has issued a Donor Alert for Benny Hinn Ministries/World Outreach Church (BHM), after the national television program, NBC Dateline, informed the public that the ministry's use of donor funds included extravagant personal gains and other reasons.
Wall Watchers’ CEO Rusty Leonard explained that Dateline's report of facts and allegations coupled with previous concerns about Benny Hinn's "self-taught" and "self-serving" Prosperity Theology, which promotes a feel good philosophy – has caused Wall Watchers to recommend that donors redirect gifts to a "biblically-based" ministry.
On Sunday night, March 6, 2005, Dateline NBC, which covers investigative reports and personal stories, devoted one hour to a documentary on the millions sent to Benny Hinn Ministries.
The program revealed that besides Hinn's salary being upwards of one million each year, Hinn also owns a $10 million dollar mansion, a private jet with $1.5 million in maintenance costs each year, and two Mercedes valued at $80,000 each. Layovers between Crusades at locations such as Hawaii and Milan cost from $900 to almost $3,000 for one night. Receipts showed that Hinn received $25,000 in petty cash for a Crusade that was 30 minutes from his home.
According to the statement released by Wall Watchers, "BHM has far more money than it needs to carry out its ministry."
In addition, Hinn manipulates people by promising healing to those with chronic illnesses and claiming that donations are "seeds" that will bear monetary riches at a later time.
"There was never one record that would suit the criteria for documented miracle healing," former Hinn employee, Nathan Daniel told Dateline.
After the NBC investigative report, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability issued a statement on its website informing the several thousands of visitors wanting to learn more about financial transparency, that Benny Hinn Ministries is not amongst the 1,150 accredited organizations that meet its criteria for membership.
According to Wall Watcher's Leonard, critics oppose the fact that “Hinn and his family enjoy a lavish lifestyle with funds intended for charitable purposes, preaches a fraudulent, self-serving version of the Bible, manipulates individuals at 'healing crusades' for personal gain, and the ministry is nontransparent and lacks independent board oversight."
MinistryWatch.com recommends that donors "prayerfully consider withholding contributions to Benny Hinn" and invites all Christians to join in praying for Benny Hinn and his family to "humbly submit themselves to a process of personal repentance and restoration.”
