Controversial ‘evangelist’ Todd Bentley marries women he had extramarital affair with
[Todd] Bentley has married the former Jessa Hasbrook, a former intern for his ministry. Last summer, his internationally famous revival campaign in Lakeland, Florida collapsed when it was revelead that he and Jessa had begun an “emotional affair”. Charismatic leaders C. Peter Wagner and Robert Ricciardelli, however, have reported that the affair was apparently sexual. Mr. Ricciardelli, furthermore, has indicated that this affair, whatever type it was, began in January of last year, which would place it well before Mr. Bentley announced that he was separating from his wife Shonnah. This is also well before Mr. Bentley brought Shonnah Bentley and his kids to Lakeland to show them to an international T.V. audience. Shonnah Bentley even preached in a local church to promote her husband’s revival.
He has also entered into a restoration process led by MorningStar Ministries founder Rick Joyner, it was announced Monday.
Joyner said Bentley and his new wife, Jessa, married “several weeks ago” and have moved to Fort Mill, S.C., where MorningStar is based. Jack Deere of Wellspring Church in Texas and Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in California will assist Joyner in overseeing Bentley’s restoration process.
In a message titled, “Todd Bentley Begins Restoration Process” Rick Joyner — controversial for his extra-Biblical and un-Biblical teachings — insists that Bentley’s Lakeland Revival “was from God”:
Those of you who were touched by the Lakeland Outpouring do not lose your encouragement. What happened there was from God, and Todd is a true servant of God. He has made some mistakes, and he is trying to get his life back in order, and you can be confident that he will.
Declaring outrageous teachings and practices to be ‘from God’ is par-for-the-course for Joyner, who was also a big fan of the Toronto Blessing.
The so-called Lakeland Revival was marked by — among other things — unbiblical teachings and practices, false testimonies, demonic manifestations and the worship of angels.
At home, Bentley left behind three children and his disabled former wife. But incredibly, Joyner ends his ‘restoration’ message with a fundraiser to “help to rebuild and establish Fresh Fire USA, which has recently relocated” to Joyner’s outfit in South Carolina.
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