Revivalist Todd Bentley has been barred from the United Kingdom because of his sometime use of physical violence—including kicking and punching—to heal. Bentley, who gained prominence after the “Lakeland Outporing,” a 100-day revival that drew 30,000 attendees a week, describes his style in the above video.
Bentley’s methods are horrifying and compelling, strange enough to blare through all the madness of Honey Boo Boo, “Come at me bro,” and mass violence. But they are hardly representative of, or condoned by, the charismatic movement as a whole. J. Lee Grady, editor of the Pentecostal magazine Charisma, makes the key criticisms:
Among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: “This is God. Don’t question.” So before we could all say, “Sheeka Boomba” (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.
I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We’re spiritually hungry—which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything. [ . . . ]
I still believe that God desires to visit our nation in supernatural power. I know He wants to heal multitudes, and I will continue praying for a healing revival to sweep across the United States. But we must contend for the genuine, not an imitation. True revival will be accompanied by brokenness, humility, reverence and repentance—not the arrogance, showmanship and empty hype that often was on display in Lakeland.
“Hungy people will eat anything,” and in the midst of a global recession, people are gnawed by more than one kind of hunger.
August 24th, 2012 | 2:34 pm
If people want to be beaten up, fine. All men will taste the cup of their deservings, some day. But what troubles me, is that he has also been convicted of sexual abuse of a very young child – when he was 15, but that doesn’t make it any better.
August 25th, 2012 | 5:46 am
The Lakeland debacle is still spoken about in Charismatic circles. But without any mention of Todd Bentley. Unfortunately it would seem that many are still accepting it as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit ,but are in denial and conveniently forget what actually happened.
It was not just Bentley’s bizarre showmanship which was worrying. We also forget that his theology was at the least flaky and at its worse ,sheer heretical nonsense.
I was especially amazed to hear him explain that the letter to the Hebrews was a joint effort between Abraham and Paul. He got this information on a visit to heaven where he met both men at the hut of Paul. (Paul has a hut in heaven according to Todd)
Lee Grady was on to him and eventually Terry Virgo clicked as well. But for many others ,including some influential churches in my hometown of Southampton UK, Bentley was never questioned or his practices criticised. In fact I paid a visit to a ‘revival’ which had been arranged during this time and which showed footage of Lakeland during the meeting.
This was a meeting in which the local leaders had developed religious ‘tics’ and would bow over violently in what looked like severe back pain and then would start giggling hysterically.
Lakeland has left its mark. There is more talk of ‘walking in the supernatural’ than before and there have been many Lakeland clones thrown up along the way.
So I do not believe that much has been learned from this time. When the next latest thing comes along the same lack of discernment will drive the same people to follow it without question.
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