Benny Hinn's brother accused of extramarital affair
5:23 p.m. EST, January 21, 2013
Sanford Pastor Sam Hinn engaged in a four-year love affair with a member of
his congregation before being confronted by his wife and church officials,
prompting him to step away from the pulpit, according to the woman's family.Chantel Wonder said Hinn, the younger brother of televangelist Benny Hinn, initiated the affair with her mother by telling her they were "soul mates" and that God approved of the relationship.
"He put her in a position that this is OK because it's what God wants. He was using God to justify it," said Wonder, 28, of St. Petersburg.
Hinn, 51, founded The Gathering Place Worship Center in 1996, about five years before Wonder's family joined.
Messages left on Hinn's home phone were not returned. Church officials responded to requests for comment with a copy of the letter Hinn wrote to his congregation, which says:
"As painful as this is to confess, I have allowed myself to be drawn into a relationship that has caused much hurt and pain to my wife and family. I have repented and asked for and received their forgiveness."
Wonder said her father became aware of the affair in December 2008 after he found text and voice messages from Hinn on his wife's phone. At the time, his wife denied the affair. The couple, who were married June 20, 1980, divorced on Feb. 14, 2012.
Wonder said Hinn, who is married and has four children, continued the affair after her parents divorced. She said church officials confronted Hinn with evidence of the affair in December 2012, but he refused to admit he was involved with the woman.
On Jan. 14, Hinn denied the allegations of an affair to his wife, but promised not to talk to the woman again, Wonder said. Later the same day, she said, Hinn's car was photographed parked outside her mother's apartment.
On Wednesday, church officials read Hinn's letter to the congregation, in which he says, "…I am taking a leave of absence from any and all ministry so I can focus my full energy on both my walk with God and restoration in my family."
Church officials also released a statement that the board has initiated a restoration process for Hinn that involves the counsel of Ron Johnson, pastor of One Church in Longwood.
"This process includes Pastoral and Professional Counseling, as well as a mandatory time out of ministry so that all factures in both his personal and family life may be healed," the statement says.
Chantel Wonder said this isn't enough.
"He'll be back in a couple of months as senior pastor, and that's just not right," said Wonder, who fears the church will shift all the blame on her mother.
Wonder said both her parents were involved in church activities. Her father was an usher and both were engaged in Bible study.
Her mother, who works as a hairstylist, eventually become the stylist for Hinn's family, including his wife and children, Wonder said.
Hinn is the latest in a series of high-profile pastors of large nondenominational churches in Central Florida who have become embroiled in extramarital affairs. In November, Isaac Hunter, son of megapastor Joel Hunter, stepped down from the Orlando church he founded, Summit Church, after admitting to an affair with a staff member.
New Destiny Christian Center pastor Zachery Tims left his Apopka church for a time after getting caught in an extramarital affair around 2009. Tims returned to the church, but died suddenly of causes still not disclosed in a New York City hotel room in August 2011.
In all three cases, the churches were creations of their dynamic lead pastors. Experts in church dynamics say when churches lose their founding pastors, it often creates a crisis of direction and confidence, even when they return.
Pastor Sam Hinn
Pastor and Author Sam Hinn Steps Down From Pulpit
http://www.charismanews.com/us/35331-pastor-and-author-sam-hinn-steps-down-from-pulpit
2:00PM EST 1/22/2013 Elizabeth Sanchez
Sam Hinn has stepped down as pastor of the Gathering
Place Worship
Center in Sanford, Fla.,
the church he founded in 1996. The 51-year-old pastor took the action to begin
a restoration process as the result of "being drawn into a relationship
that has caused much pain."
Hinn is the younger brother of Evangelist Benny Hinn, under whom
he served when the elder Hinn pastored World
Outreach Center
in nearby Orlando
for 14 years.
The Gathering
Place Worship
Center holds two morning
services attended by about 300 people each, plus a small Arabic service on
Sunday afternoon, The Orlando Sentinel reported Sunday.
A letter from Pastor Hinn, read at the Wednesday night service
January 16, did not state his reason for stepping down but said, "I take
full responsibility for the place we now find ourselves. As painful as this is
to confess, I have allowed myself to be drawn into a relationship that has
caused much hurt and pain to my wife and family. I have repented and asked for
and received their forgiveness. Scripture states that I must bring forth the
fruit of repentance if I expect to be restored..."
The statement was also read to the congregation on Sunday. To
read the entire statement, click here.
The Gathering Place's
board said it is "deeply saddened" by the recent news but pointed to
Galatians 6:1 as a guideline for restoration: "Pastor Sam Hinn has been
relieved of all ministry responsibilities and as the official board, we have
outlined a restoration process. This process includes pastoral and professional
counseling, as well as a mandatory time out of ministry so that all fractures
in both his personal and family life may be healed." Click here to read the entire statement.
Pastor Ron Johnson, of One Church
(Assembly of God) in nearby Longwood, was asked by the church board to oversee
the restoration process. Johnson appointed Theo Koulianos, a member of The
Gathering Place's pastoral staff, to fill the pulpit.
The Gathering Place
is known locally for its lively concert-style worship. It attracts many young
people and has a large Hispanic segment among the congregation. Because Hinn
was born in Israel
and because his mother, who was a part of the church spoke Arabic, the church
has held an Arabic service for many years. The Gathering Place describes itself as a
church about “family, worship and the presence of God.”
Hinn is the author of two books: Kissing the Face of God
and Changed in His Presence. He and his wife Erika have been married for
more than 25 years and have four children.
Hinn had also served as an interim pastor at Heartland Church
in Dallas, Texas of time while its founding pastor
Steve Hill was battling cancer. Hill has now returned to the pulpit.
"He was a blessing in my absence," Hill told Charisma
News. "We read the letter to our church on Sunday and prayed for
Pastor Sam, The Gathering Place, and the Hinn family. There is nothing but love
and appreciation coming from Heartland. I love him and believe the Lord will
totally restore."
Pastor Sam Hinn Speaks Out on 'Relationship That Has Caused Much Hurt' to Family
http://www.charismanews.com/us/35325-pastor-sam-hinn-speaks-out-on-relationship-that-has-caused-much-hurt-to-family
9:47AM EST 1/22/2013
Here is the statement from Sam
Hinn that was read to the congregation of The Gathering Place Worship Center on
Sunday, Jan. 20:
"After much soul searching
I have come to the understanding that I need to take a break from the ministry.
Erika and I have been aware, for some time, that there have been fractures
developing in our marriage that must be addressed.
"Although neither Erika nor
I have ever claimed perfection, this morning I take full responsibility for the
place we now find ourselves. As painful as this is to confess, I have allowed
myself to be drawn into a relationship that has caused much hurt and pain to my
wife and family. I have repented and asked for and received their forgiveness.
"The Scripture states that
I must bring fort the fruit of repentance if I expect to be restored;
therefore, I have submitted myself to leadership of this Church and the
Apostolic covering of Pastor Ron Johnson of One Church.
"Therefore, I am taking a
leave of absence from any and all ministry so I can focus my full energy on
both my walk with God and restoration in my family.
"TGP, I love you all very
much and apologize for hurting you. I ask that you please pray for my family
during this difficult season and I ask you to stand with us as we take this
much needed time to heal.
"With the support of my
family and help of those around me, it is my full intention to be fully
restored and return to my responsibilities as your pastor, as soon as the Lord
permits.
"Please respect the privacy
of our family during this difficult time."
Book publisher says televangelist Benny Hinn violated morality clause
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-benny-hinn-book-suit-20110217,0,3978261.story
Strang Communications wants $250,000.
5:58 p.m. EST, February 17, 2011
SANFORD - A Lake Mary book publisher is suing
televangelist and faith healer Benny Hinn, saying he violated a morality
clause in their contract when he began an "inappropriate relationship"
with another evangelist, and thus, must pay $250,000.
In August, Hinn admitted to a friendship with evangelist Paula White after The National Enquirer published photos of them in Rome, holding hands.
Hinn was married at the time. His wife, Suzanne, had filed
for divorce a few months earlier.
Three years earlier, Hinn had signed a three-book deal with Strang Communications Co. of Lake Mary. He was paid a $300,000 advance on the first one, "Blood in the Sand," according to the suit.
Hinn acknowledged to his publisher "his inappropriate
relationship" with White in August, according to the suit, and agreed that
the publisher should get back its money, but he has yet to pay up.
Hinn's lawyer, Miles Archer Woodlief of Mill Valley, Calif., did not return a phone call Thursday.
In a letter attached to the suit, Strang also accused Hinn of violated the contract by failing to work hard enough to market "Blood in the Sand".
He failed to make television appearances to promote it, including several on "700 Club", wrote Strang attorney Chris Vlahos.
The suit was filed Tuesday in state circuit court.
Hinn lives in suburban Los Angeles. He moved there in 1999 after building a national audience at his faith-healing center, World Outreach Center on Forest City Road in Orlando, where he preached for 14 years.
ALSO SEE
Fooling Christians - The Debacles of Benny Hinn and Paula White
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2010/08/fooling-christians-debacles-of-benny.html
*UPDATED*
BENNY HINN AND PAULA WHITE RESPOND TO “FALSE AND MISLEADING” NEWS
STATEMENT BY BENNY HINN CONCERNING PAULA WHITE DISAPPEARS
PAULA WHITE RESPONSE CONCERNING BENNY HINN DISAPPEARS
BENNY HINN AND PAULA WHITE SIDE BY SIDE
BENNY HINN AND PAULA WHITE INVOLVED?
PAULA WHITE HAWKS HER UPCOMING SUPER CONFERENCE WITH HERETICS-Я-US
STATEMENT BY BENNY HINN CONCERNING PAULA WHITE DISAPPEARS
PAULA WHITE RESPONSE CONCERNING BENNY HINN DISAPPEARS
BENNY HINN AND PAULA WHITE SIDE BY SIDE
BENNY HINN AND PAULA WHITE INVOLVED?
PAULA WHITE HAWKS HER UPCOMING SUPER CONFERENCE WITH HERETICS-Я-US
