British Newspaper Readers Vote To Keep Todd Bentley out of UK

The Express On Sunday,  a leading UK national newspaper covered Todd Bentley on 29 June. It held a phone in poll and apparently 79% of the phone voting UK public voted to keep Todd Bentley out of The UK. They concluded their article on Bentley with -

“Take him with pinch of salt

CHURCH authorities are right to query the activities of Todd Bentley and his Fresh Fires Ministry. Bentley, who was a criminal before he was “born again”, claims to be able to raise the dead and cure diseases.

At his “church” in Florida, Bentley has been seen to punch members of his audience in order to heal them.

Now he is coming to Britain and the vast NEC centre in Birmingham has been booked for a series of healing events. He is expected to attract thousands.

No doubt his shows are a spectacle that many enjoy but few ever see the consequences left among the frail by charlatans. “

The 79% Sunday Express vote to keep him out the country was followed up by two Sunday Mercury investigations into Trevor Baker at the Dudley Oupouring. It has been reported (unverified by me as yet) that Trevor Baker is an ex convict and was shaken by mainstream media scrutiny, and has told his staff that “the game is up. At least we made a quick few million and God TV got out of £6 million debts”. 

One of the Sunday Mercury articles is below -

“US sex offender is coming to preach in the Midlands

Jul 5 2008

A US child sex offender turned church minister who tries to cure cancer victims by KICKING them has been invited to preach at a Midlands rally.

Todd Bentley, 32, is due to take centre stage at Birmingham NEC in September after being asked to attend by a Christian church in Dudley.

Yet the tattooed evangelist was previously convicted of child sex offences as a teenager. He also admits being addicted to drugs and alcohol in his youth – when he also loved bondage and Satanic music.

Bentley has attracted further controversy due to his violent outbursts towards sick people who attend his Fresh Fire Ministries looking for a cure.

The boot-clad biker has been filmed kicking a man with colon cancer in the stomach, grabbing a crippled woman’s legs and banging them on stage – and appearing to kick another woman in the face.

Last night the Church of England Bishop for Dudley, David Walker, raised concerns about the rally and said: ”I’m not going to condemn it -but I’m not going to encourage people to go along either.

“If people wish to pray for healing then it is available with the Church of England in a more gentle, quiet and subtle way.

”It won’t involve people being punched and kicked.”

Bentley has been invited to the Midlands by Trevor and Sharon Baker, who run the Revival Fires Church in Dudley.

Born-again Christian Trevor, 55, defended the Canadian-born preacher and said: “I’ve known Todd for six years and during that time he has been a man of real integrity.

“He has a chequered history and has written a book about this. He was brought up in a trailer park with all that means in America.

“He was 18 years-old when he became a Christian and his life completely changed from that point on.

“Ninety days ago he held a healing weekend in Florida. So many people were cured that the process has continued since then.

“I went over 10 weeks ago to see what was going on. Then when I got back to Dudley I held a conference with people I knew over the last 10 years and people began to be healed.

“One woman had a rare form of cancer and God touched her and she became pain free. When she visited her doctor she said he told her she was cured.

“Another woman was 70 per cent deaf. But after attending the meeting and arriving home she had to turn down the TV because it was too loud.

“She hasn’t had to wear a hearing aid since.”

He added: ”Todd does not always kick people to cure them. I have only known him to do this on three occasions.

“Most of the healing takes place through him praying and touching them.”

A spokeswoman for Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries said: “Todd was 13 years-old when he abused a child. God is not looking for perfect people. Moses was a murderer.

“We don’t focus on the criticism. Jesus Christ had critics.

”Todd has not kicked anyone during the revival currently taking place in Florida. It’s very rare. He never does anything like that without first asking for the person’s permission.”

An NEC spokeswoman said the religious rally had not yet been confirmed, although discussions were taking place.

She added: “We host a wide range of events and concerts for all audiences and tastes to meet our customer needs, and always carry out a vigorous risk assessment for all events.”