Todd Bentley announces return to ministry after hearing from God
Approximately one year after a team of evangelical leaders declared him “not qualified” for leadership due to “credible” allegations of “ungodly and immoral behavior,” including predatory sexual activity, Fresh Fire USA leader Todd Bentley says he’s now back after hearing from God.
Bentley, who turned 45 last month, said as the coronavirus pandemic raged in parts of the country in the summer of 2020, he was experiencing a time of healing and restoration with angels and communing with God.
“It was last summer in July/ August 2020 that I had a series of angelic encounters, visions and personal encounters with the Lord that were absolutely life-changing. At the same time Jess and I used this time to see healing and incredible restoration in our own lives and marriage. During this awesome season of almost daily personal encounters the Lord spoke to me about my 45th birthday, which took place on January 10, 2021,” Bentley wrote in a recent post on Facebook.
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Just months prior to his angelic encounters, evangelical leaders including, host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program Michael Brown, said Bentley was unfit for ministry.
“Based on our careful review of numerous first-hand reports, some of them dating back to 2004, we state our theological opinion and can say with one voice that, without a doubt, Todd is not qualified to serve in leadership or ministry today,” the leaders said in an official statement shared by Brown on Facebook.
“There are credible accusations of a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed by an independent investigator’s interviews dating from 2008 up through 2019, along with other testimonies dating back to 2004. And while we only took into account first-hand reports, there are many other second and third-hand reports repeating the same accusations, often from people in different parts of the country (or, world) who had no connection between them, other than their interaction with Todd,” the statement said.
Stephen Powell, an estranged protégé of the controversial faith healer, first highlighted sexual misconduct allegations against the Fresh Fire USA leader
The Lion of Light Ministries leader said Bentley has a “perverse sexual addiction” that drove him to prey on interns in 2013 and beyond. He alleged that Bentley “has an appetite for a variety of sexual sins, including both homosexual and heterosexual activity” and accused the evangelist of indulging in an open marriage with his wife, Jessa.
Despite his earthly disqualification from ministry, Bentley said God has given him a fresh 25-year mandate “focused on the Harvest and the nations.”
“I thought it was very unusual for the Lord to be speaking to me six months before the day I was born but he spoke to me about picking up the mantle in a new 25-year mandate focused on the Harvest and the nations. Imagine waiting those six months for your actual birthday to see if something supernatural would happen and when my birthday came, I did pray and received what I believe the Lord spoke to me in faith and I’m ready to walk it out this year,” he said.
“I am working on a new podcast series which will be available for free and released on many different platforms, and our content will focus on Walking with God. I will also continue to build a new platform for TV and media ministry while taking a few ministry engagements later this spring and summer. Pray as we ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in navigating our schedule through the current pandemic as we find it quite difficult to travel internationally with so many different restrictions still in place and we believe that these things will open up more and more this year,” he added. “I am also working on a new series of online training schools, and several revival harvest America, Africa, Europe and Asian mission soul winning crusades.”
As he remains grounded by the pandemic, Bentley said he has been busy with mentoring his 5-year-old daughter. He’s also encouraging people to give to his ministry.
