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Benny Hinn’s Trinidad crusades starts today

Trinidad & Tobago Express, Trinidad and Tobego
May 19, 2006
Julien Neaves
www.trinidadexpress.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Friday May 19, 2006

Today at 4 p.m. evenagelical Christians, critics and onlookers will crowd part of the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain as the Benny Hinn Holy Spirit Miracle Services begins its three-day healing and deliverance ministry.

The area around the Savannah has been fenced and volunteers were setting up chairs for the 30,000 people expected daily.

Hinn, in a posting on his ministry’s website, said he expected “multitudes” of Trinidadians to attend as well as visitors from South and Central America and other Caribbean countries.

The US evangelist holds crusades around the world with some of the highlights broadcast on his television show, This is Your Day, on Trinity Broadcasting Network.

He was brought to this country at the invitation of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago), in collaboration with the Full Gospel and Evangelical Churches of Trinidad and Tobago.

Benny Hinn

Evangelist Benny Hinn is controversial for his frequently aberrant – and at times heretical – theology, his unorthodox practices, and his false claims. Nevertheless, large numbers of people who indentify themselves as Christians follow – and, often, appear to worship – this preacher.

Book: The Confusing World of Benny Hinn

Research resources on Benny Hinn

For months the event’s organisers had been requesting assistance on radio station ISAAC 98.1 for the Christian community to volunteer to serve as ushers, security officers and as part of a large choir.

Hinn’s most outspoken critic has been general secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Sat Maharaj, who had called on Government to arrest Hinn under the Summary Offences Act and sharply critcised him for describing this country as a “voodoo land” with many devils.

Hinn had made these statements during and after his previous visit in 1999 which was also held at the Savannah.

At that crusade the televangelist also predicted that then Opposition Leader Patrick Manning would become the next Prime Minister.

During his campaign Maharaj offered a free taped series of investigative reports on Hinn and questioned in the media whether Government was funding the crusade in any way.