Meet Juanita Bynum, the US preacher who wants your cash



One of the most controversial religious preachers in the US is coming to the Golders Green Hippodrome.

Juanita Bynum has made millions in America and will preach in London for the first time on October 20 and 21.

Dr Bynum will charge £30 to attend both days of her conference at the former theatre, bought by El Shaddai International Christian Centre earlier this year.

But her visit is not being welcomed by nearby residents’ association chairman Barry Alexander.

He said: “A lot of the people who go there will be desperate and can’t afford what she wants, but I suppose if they want to give away their money there is nothing you can do to stop them.

“These evangelicals tend to go out to try to convert people and there will be no place for that here.”

Ms Bynum has courted controversy across the pond by making millions from the sale of DVDs, books and conference tickets. She also demands donations from her congregation.

The former hairdresser and air stewardess is about to launch a spa, a make up and toiletries range, a magazine and her own TV show.

The introduction on her website says: “In every generation God raises up a revolutionary, a chief commander, a voice who’s not afraid to cry loud on behalf of his people.

“We call her a prophetess of the nations who fills stadiums and changes lives…She ushers people into the presence and glory of god…Preacher, teacher, ambassador and entrepreneur Juanita Bynum.”

Ms Bynum calls the money she demands from her supporters “sowing a seed“. In one video on her site she pleads for $200,000 to build a new prayer room – which she calls a “threshing floor”.

She says: “It’s a hard thing for me, but I have to pick up everything and move it and there’s a piece (of land) on the new Juanita Bynum ministry property God has given me – the 30 acres of land and 12 acres of lakefront.

“I think it is God’s wisdom to build a new threshing floor here so I am asking you as my partners.

The Prosperity Scam

It goes by different names, including seed faith, name-it and claim-it (or, as critics says, blab-it and grab-it), and Word of Faith, but the prosperity teaching scam remains the same.

“The fee and the charge is approx $200,000 I am asking for an emergency seed, any seed you give $300, $500 or $1,000. You have an opportunity to help me build the place where I can go to God on your behalf.”

Ms Bynum, known in the USA as a televangelist, rose to fame by preaching against pre-marital sex. She said by sleeping with men before marriage God had punished her by not bringing her a true mate.

She repented and had a televised fairytale wedding with another preacher – Bishop Thomas Wesley Weeks III – which cost more than $500,000.

But last month she became the subject of the gossip columns after her husband was arrested for assaulting her.

Source

(Listed if other than Religion News Blog, or if not shown above)
Kantie Davies, Hampstead & Highgate Express, Sep. 20, 2007, http://www.hamhigh.co.uk

Religion News Blog posted this on Saturday September 22, 2007.
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