Over the past few months Cary McMullen, religion editor of The Ledger, has written several stories about Todd Bentley — the controversial Canadian preacher who led an alleged ‘revival’ in Lakeland, Florida.
After a negative Nightline report broadcast July 9, it was announced that Bentley would be taking time off “to refresh and to rest.”
Later that month it was announced that the ‘evangelist’ would leave Florida in order to ‘conduct revivals’ overseas.
Now McMullen reports that Bentley and his wife — after having been in marriage counseling for several months — are separating:
Separation May End Bentley’s Lakeland Appearances
Todd Bentley, the evangelist who has led the Florida Outpouring revival here in Lakeland since April 2, has filed for separation from his wife and might not return to the revival, according to his former local spokesperson, Lynne Breidenbach. She said Bentley made the announcement to his staff this afternoon. Bentley and his wife, Shonnah, have two daughters and a son and are Canadian citizens.
Under Canadian law, separation is a first step in divorce proceedings and takes nine months. Bentley and his wife have been in marriage counseling for several months, Breidenbach said. She called the situation “very sad” but insisted it “doesn’t invalidate what Todd did” at the revival.
Bentley’s Fresh Fire Ministries website carries a notice that his September appearance at a conference in England has been postponed.
At the end of June, a number of ‘spiritual leader’ commissioned Bentley as an ‘evangelist’ — thereby displaying a tragic lack of spiritual discernment.
Interestingly, Emma — the angel Bentley and some of his supporting cast get messages from — has apparently been quiet about the preacher’s marriage problems.
See Also:
• Todd Bentley and wife Shonnah separate, Bene Diction Blogs On