Posted on 01/16/2020 6:12:39 AM PST by Gamecock
A team of evangelical leaders including host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program, Michael Brown, declared Fresh Fire USA leader Todd Bentley “not qualified” for leadership Thursday after an investigation found allegations of “ungodly and immoral behavior” against him “credible.”
“Based on our careful review of numerous first-hand reports, some of them dating back to 2004, we state our theological opinion and can say with one voice that, without a doubt, Todd is not qualified to serve in leadership or ministry today,” said the leaders in an official statement shared by Brown on Facebook.
“There are credible accusations of a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed by an independent investigator’s interviews dating from 2008 up through 2019, along with other testimonies dating back to 2004. And while we only took into account first-hand reports, there are many other second and third-hand reports repeating the same accusations, often from people in different parts of the country (or, world) who had no connection between them, other than their interaction with Todd,” the statement said.
Other leaders on the panel with Brown were: Joseph Mattera, overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Brooklyn, New York, who also serves as convener of the U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders; James W. Goll, founder of God Encounters Ministries in Franklin, Tennessee; Jane Hamon, co-pastor of Vision Church at Christian International in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida; Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland; and Don Finto, pastor emeritus at Belmont Church in Nashville, Tennessee.
Stephen Powell, an estranged protégé of the popular and controversial faith healer, first highlighted sexual misconduct allegations against the Fresh Fire USA leader last summer that included international encounters.
Powell, who leads the Lion of Light Ministries, alleged that Bentley has a “perverse sexual addiction” that drove him to prey on interns in 2013 and beyond.
He said he got a mandate from God to call wayward Christian leaders to repentance while alleging that Bentley “has an appetite for a variety of sexual sins, including both homosexual and heterosexual activity.” He also accused the evangelist of indulging in an open marriage with his wife, Jessa, and further criticized Bentley’s restoration process stemming from moral failure in 2008.
In their statement Thursday, the religious leaders said as a part of their investigation into the allegations they sought to hear Todd's side directly, “but he declined to answer a list of 60 questions compiled by the investigator after initially agreeing to respond.”
“Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator,” the statement said.
“Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance. Instead, we see a steady pattern of compromised behavior, including credible accusations of adultery, sexting (including the exchanging of nude pictures or videos), vulgar language, and substance abuse,” the panel said.
“In our view, this disqualifies Todd from public ministry until such time that he has demonstrated true, lasting fruits of repentance, which would include: the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgment of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt. This would likely take a period of years,” they continued.
Bentley responded defiantly in a Facebook Live broadcast Thursday, arguing that he does not have a drug or sexual addiction but did admit to texting and sexting. He also noted that he stepped down from his public ministry six months ago and started a private “marketplace” company.
He also said Brown had promised to exonerate him in the investigation which he called a “sham.”
“Dr. Michael Brown has spun this to be what it wasn’t,” Bentley said while claiming that he was threatened with blackmail prior to the revelations over the summer.
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In other news, Jim Bakker seems to be doing as well or better than ever, seems like only the Cosby show is on TV more.
Perhaps Tammy Faye was the problem. ;-)
Never heard of any of these Democrats before.
“Joseph Mattera, overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Brooklyn, New York, who also serves as convener of the U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders”
“Coalition of Apostolic Leaders”
???????????????????????????????
“Jane Hamon, co-pastor of Vision Church at Christian International”
Jane?
Of course, I have no idea who Todd Bentley is....but if these are the folks he hangs around with, I’d be skeptical from the start.
From Wiki, for others who haven’t heard of him:
” At 17, Bentley was hospitalized again after his fourth[12] drug overdose.[13] At 18, he changed his lifestyle completely, due to his conversion to Christianity. Soon after this, he began his Christian ministry.[14][15]
Fresh Fire Ministries
In 1998, the Fresh Fire Ministry group asked Bentley to give his testimony at one of their weekly meetings. Soon after, on Mother’s Day 1998[16] Bentley took over leadership of the group, and it became more of a revival movement. He traveled to India, Africa, South America, Mexico and Europe taking part in crusades and revivals.[17] This became Fresh Fire Ministries Canada which was led by Bentley until the time of his resignation in August 2008[18] after his separation from his wife.
...Bentley’s testimony includes certain controversial claims, including encounters of meeting with Paul the Apostle.[24] He has also preached about an encounter with an angel he called ‘Emma’,[78] at an Assemblies of God church in 2001.[citation needed] The angel appeared in female form “and sprinkled ‘gold dust,’ illustrating financial blessings, on the congregation where he was preaching.”[79] In response to criticism about the Biblical inspiration of an angel who appeared female, Bentley wrote that it was God’s choice, and not his own, that an angel appeared to him in that manner.[80]”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Bentley
He has been unqualified for leadership for a long time now.
Sounds more like paganism to me.
It is supposed to work this way.
“Well, duh!”
Todd Bentley has always been a total wolf and and sham for anyone with eyes to see. Difficult to believe people flock to see and support this charlatan and his fake revival ministry.
But he looks so cool, and his highly visible tats tell us all “he has a past!”
These types are showing up everywhere!
From the link you posted: Bentley was convicted at age 15 of sexually assaulting a much younger boy two years earlier.
The guy is a certified predator!
I’m shocked, shocked, I tell you. ;-)
That’s nothing compared to many in congress.
Looks like he paid good money for the tats on his arms. The neck tattoos, however, look prison quality.
Obviously their giftings do not include discernment.
He got all those tats while he was already in ministry. Around 2007-09 period.
How fitting. This lost soul has more problems than just moral, while the rebuke by leaders, if imperfect, is a step in the right direction.
Who ever ordained him needs to defrock him.
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