Frequently Asked Questions

Clear-cut Answers to Most-asked Questions

Here are basic responses to questions received recently. These FAQs are divided into basic categories About BHM, Knowing Jesus, Healing, Outreach & Mission Programs and Finances for your convenience. If you don’t find a specific response, kindly submit your question by clicking this link.

   About BHM  Topˆ

   Q. What is the primary purpose of Benny Hinn Ministries?

 A. God is opening so many doors. It takes an entire Website to share just a small view of all the Savior is doing. May I strongly urge you to take a quick tour around www.BennyHinn.org to see the vast range of projects and opportunities BHM offers. Above all, I can say with great certainty that the main purpose will always be winning souls to Jesus Christ. Click here for more information about receiving the Savior into your heart.

   Knowing Jesus  Topˆ

   Q. What does it mean to be born again?

 A. God has given a very clear and understandable plan for accepting Jesus as the Savior of your life, so all your sins can be taken away and you can live in heaven with Him forever. That, in a sentence, is what it means to be born again. Click here for more information about receiving the Savior into your heart.

   Q. I've done many horrible things. You preach that Jesus can save anyone.
        Does that include me?

A. I preach it because it is true. Through the centuries, often the worst, most guilty sinners become the most wonderful, guilt-free believers. The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote much of the New Testament. But at one time he was a hated persecutor of Christians, even overseeing their deaths. After giving his life to Christ, Paul wrote, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). Yes, Jesus can save and change anyone. Click here for more information about receiving forgiveness for every sin you have committed.

   Healing  Topˆ

   Q. Does God really heal people today, or is everything I see from the Benny Hinn    Ministries Miracle Crusades merely emotional people caught up in some type of    manipulation, mind control, or mass hysteria?

A. God does heal today, just as Jesus Christ healed the sick of His day. In fact, the Savior declared, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).

Jesus Christ gave His life on Calvary’s cross, not just for our sins, but also for our healing: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

After His resurrection, Jesus’s followers were witnesses of the life-saving and miracle-working power of the Gospel as they ministered throughout the known world.

That same power is available today. Millions have personally witnessed His miracle-working power. Many have been healed in churches and massive crusades, but many have also been healed in their own homes. God’s healing power is not limited to location or personality. Faith is the key: “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up” (James 5:15).

Our heavenly Father has the power to heal all sickness: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:3).

Benny Hinn believes that Christians today are blessed with the opportunity to pray for people who need healing, and during the Miracle Crusades, many respond to God’s healing power. To link such a wonderful anointing and ministry with derisive labels is not only short-sighted and erroneous, but it also instills doubt in people who desire to see God’s miracle-working power in their own lives.

Woven throughout the pages of Scripture is the truth that God heals—yesterday, today, and forever. His hand is not shortened and His ear is not deaf to the cry of the sick and oppressed. No matter what the secular media or religious “experts” want us to believe, God most certainly does heal today. In service after service, in every corner of the globe, thousands of precious men, women, youth, and children find healing in His presence.

How do you know for sure what is happening in the Benny Hinn services and if people really are healed today? Attend an upcoming Benny Hinn Ministries Miracle Crusade in your area—from beginning to end. Talk with the people around you who have been healed. Ask for God’s guidance. Seek the truth, and you will find it. Click here for more information.

   Q. I’ve heard that Benny Hinn Ministries refuses to verify or produce any follow-up    evidence about people who are healed during the Miracle Crusades. Is that true?

A. Recently, one of our well-publicized detractors, an internationally known skeptic, said on a nationally televised network interview program: “All I want is accountability. That’s all I’ve ever asked for…verification of healings…that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

For many years, we have been very systematic and open in verifying what our Father does. We have physicians at each crusade to examine those who testify of healing. We have staff members who do interviews—collecting pertinent information—for authenticating and follow-up. As a general rule, people who are invited onstage to testify of their healings have already gone through this brief, yet thorough review. We feature many of these miracles in our daily broadcasts, but not before this initial review.

At the crusades, people who receive healings are consistently encouraged to go to their doctors for verification when they get back home. Records from these personal physicians are often a reliable basis for our follow-up procedure.

Years ago we established a Miracle Follow-Up Department where some of our most wonderful and dedicated staff members work diligently to coordinate independent medical reports and review testimonies. This is a process that can take weeks and months, sometimes even longer. People who have met our stringent follow-up standards may then be featured in our publications or on our Web site.

For several years, we have featured at least one fully documented healing testimony in each month’s A Word for Your Day publication. We feature numerous heartwarming (and fully documented) testimonies on our Web site. We have even published entire books featuring many of these powerful accounts of God’s miracle-working power.

This isn’t a procedure that started yesterday. In fact, onstage during a 2004 BHM Miracle Crusade in Toronto, Pastor Benny interviewed numerous people who received healings in his meetings as far back as two and three decades ago.

Now, do we give the addresses and phone numbers of these people to anyone who asks? Of course not! We value their privacy too much.

Do some of these people publicize their stories independently? Yes, and to God be all the glory. Some speak often in churches and ministry services, sharing what happened to them. Some who have been healed are now in full-time ministry. Others have been featured in local and regional newspapers and television programs.

Therefore, how some people, especially those posing as ministry accountability “experts,” can keep asking for verification of these healings stretches any standard of credibility. Perhaps they simply want to keep asking the questions without listening for answers that would disprove everything they are attempting to foist upon other would-be skeptics.

Miraculous Indeed

"I can truly say that my life was very good," Karen Anderson shares. "I enjoyed an active life as a wife, mother, and grandmother. We loved boating with our family. I liked gardening when I wasn't working at a nearby window manufacturing plant. Then everything changed."

In March 2002, Karen was involved in an automobile accident, sustaining injuries that caused nerve damage to her left side. This triggered fibromyalgia.

"It was so overwhelming," she relates candidly. "I was in such pain. I would be overcome with nausea. Narcotics were prescribed by the doctor, but the adverse side effects were even worse, so I couldn't take the medicine. I had several treatments for the chronic pain but nothing brought any relief."

God began working more and more in Karen's life. She attended the Des Moines, (Iowa) Benny Hinn Miracle Crusade. She was so blessed that she decided to take her 90-year-old father to the May 2003 Milwaukee crusade.

"I really wanted him to come with me," she remembers, "because I believed that God would touch him and heal his health problems during the crusade. Something unusual happened to me, though, and during the wonderful worship service, I closed my eyes and literally saw the face of Jesus. Suddenly my hip joints felt as if they were burning. I knew that God was doing something miraculous."

Miraculous, indeed! Karen's physician saw her shortly afterward and reported to Karen that she was a “walking miracle.”

"All my symptoms of fibromyalgia were gone," she points out. "They are still gone, and other problems I had with asthma and allergies have not returned. In fact, I'm back working now. Since that miracle night, I no longer use a walker or cane. I'm back gardening, fishing and playing with my grandchildren. Life, thanks to the healing power of the Holy Spirit, is wonderful once again!"

God's Healing Power at Work

Mornings were the most difficult time for Annette Aldridge of Waycross, Georgia.

"I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1984," she remembers painfully. "I was only forty years old, but I had to crawl out of bed like a very old person. It's hard to describe the pain to someone who has never experienced it. I hurt in my neck, my shoulders—everywhere. My fingers were often so swollen that I couldn't squeeze a washcloth or hold a toothbrush."

The condition deteriorated during the next seven years. Doctors offered no hope she would ever get better.

"I started watching Benny Hinn on television," Annette shares. "I had become a Christian at an early age and had walked with God all my life. I even believed that God could heal me, but I kept praying, 'Heal me if it's Your will.' Through the teaching I received from Pastor Benny, I discovered that it is God's will to heal. 'By His stripes I am healed.' I began to confess that, and it started to activate my faith."

On August 7, 1991, while watching This Is Your Day!, she heard Pastor Benny's words, "Someone with arthritis is being healed right now!"

"I knew it was for me," Annette says forcefully. "Then I felt the power of God hit me and engulf me. I was healed!"

Today, more than a decade later, Annette lives a fulfilling and active life with her husband, Henry. They actively participate as volunteers in Benny Hinn crusades and partner conferences.

"I'm so excited to share what God has done," she explains. "And it's especially wonderful to see God's healing power at work in people who, as I was, have been given no hope for ever getting better."

   Q. During Benny Hinn Ministries Miracle Crusades, why do some people seem to get    healed, while others don’t?

A. Sadly, skeptics always seem to enjoy pointing to those who attend church services or crusades yet leave without being healed.

There is no mysterious secret about what happens at a Miracle Crusade. Many healings take place as my wonderful and anointed staff members move among the audience, praying for needs. There are many who attend, as well, who are led to pray for others in the crowd who have physical and spiritual needs.

In addition, the anointing flows as the audience spends time praising and worshiping God. In that powerful atmosphere, the Holy Spirit has an open door to touch and heal people. Benny Hinn openly confides that he is just a vessel often used to open God’s Word and point people to the true Healer.

In fact, most of the people who come onstage are actually there to testify what God has already done during the service.

The simple fact is that healing and miracles flow freely when God is able to move past the obstacles people place in front of Him. Because of our obedience to Him in worshiping and honoring what the Word says about healing and miracles, the Holy Spirit blesses us with His presence.

Yet, there are many wonderful people who believe God for healing but continue to suffer. Often these are people who have received prayer for healing and have tried to believe but still have not received the evidence of their healing.

Pastor Benny Hinn says, “I don’t understand why all are not healed. What I do know is that God is God. His timing is sure. If I were in charge, I would make sure everyone is healed during the services, but I am not in charge. What I do know is that when we get our eyes off ourselves and onto Jesus, miracles happen. He alone is the Healer. Healing happens because of who He is, not who we are or how worthy we think we are. As we look to Him, healing begins to flow. I have seen this happen thousand and thousands of times, and I never cease to be amazed at what Master Jesus can do when we move into His presence.”

Adds Pastor Benny, “I know that I will stand before God and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant for being obedient to the call to share the life-saving and miracle-working message of the Gospel.” I will gladly take that reward, as opposed to those who constantly deride God’s healing power or try to focus on those who are not healed. I don’t know what their motivation may be, but I do know that the fruit of their derision and deceit is always destruction. I want no part of that.”

SPECIAL NOTE: Dr. Jack Hayford, Founder of California-based King’s College and King’s Seminary, says:

I’m often asked about the ministry of Benny Hinn. The fact of the matter is that I know Benny very well, and we are very good personal friends. I trust this man and am grateful for his friendship. Because of…the uniqueness of his personality, he draws a lot of flack from people that don’t like the way he does things. Well, let me tell you the secret to Benny Hinn’s ministry. It’s not the power that takes place in the miracles. It’s the way that he leads people in worship before the Lord and points them to come before Him. And what you often see on television is just the miracle part of the service, but it has been preceded by forty-five minutes to an hour of people just being brought into the presence of God.

   Q. I’ve heard of people who get healed during Benny Hinn Ministries Miracle Crusades,    then later lose their healing. Were they ever truly healed? If so, why don’t they stay    healed?

A. There are no perfect answers to these questions. We live in mortal, imperfect bodies. Saints through the ages have dwelt in bodies that wear out and don’t always perform well.

Certainly, Satan will do anything in his power to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). The evil one attacks mercilessly, trying to instill doubt in an attempt to rob us of God’s miracles. Satan is especially good at getting people to believe that they aren’t worthy, that their faith isn’t strong enough, or that God wants to teach them something through their pain. Often these beliefs can prevent healing or steal the victory after the miracle has been received.

What we do have control over is the ability to stand on God’s Word, no matter what circumstances or appearances may be.

Above all, if we have received Jesus Christ as Savior, the ultimate healing comes when we stand before Him, face to face: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

   Outreach & Mission Programs  Topˆ

   Q. Why do you talk about reaching the world for Jesus Christ?

A. My calling and my abiding reason for living is a passion for people who have never heard or accepted what the Savior did for the world through the Cross of Calvary. Next to my own walk with God, winning souls is the most important thing in the world for me. I believe it should be important for every believer who understands that those who don't receive Jesus as Savior will spend an eternity without Him. That's why “souls for Jesus” will be my battle cry until the moment I go to be with my Father! Click here to read more about our Outreach and Missions Programs.

   Finances  Topˆ

   Q. How is the money spent that you receive in offerings and crusades?

A. We have numerous reliable people in place to oversee the gifts we receive. We have a leading accounting firm that continually keeps a watchful eye on everything we do, making sure that we are good stewards of every dollar we receive. You can see the simple graph that explains how the income, gratefully received, was distributed with confidence.

   Q. Does Benny Hinn Ministries have external financial accountability? To whom? And what    are the basic legal requirements for financial disclosure that the ministry has to meet?

A. Sadly, some mainstream media people and a few detractors who seem to enjoy the media spotlight often refer to the fact that Benny Hinn Ministries doesn’t answer to anyone concerning finances and the gifts received from partners. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We are directly and purposefully accountable to God, to the governmental authorities that oversee not-for-profit ministries, to independent auditors, to our board of directors, and ultimately to our partners.

Arising from the belief that a church is, by its very nature, an accountable entity, Benny Hinn Ministries complies with and often exceeds the legal requirements set forth by the Internal Revenue Service and other governing bodies which oversee the financial practices of churches.

Two clear-cut Scriptural imperatives drive our philosophy and practices:

1. Hebrews 13:16–17 declares, “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
   


2. First Corinthians 12:26–27 says, “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”

Our highest calling is to honor God in all we do. This basic tenet of the Christian faith—satisfying Him first—is our foremost desire, and this certainly includes the fiduciary governance of Benny Hinn Ministries. Recognizing, however, that we have a duty to maintain the confidence of our donors and adhere to the laws governing religious organizations, Pastor Benny Hinn set forth the intentional policy of engaging external auditors to scrutinize the financial practices of this ministry beginning at the time of the ministry’s inception in 1984.

Benny Hinn Ministries differs from many not-for-profit ministries, insofar as it is incorporated and operated as a church. The IRS acknowledges this distinction and sets forth certain guidelines that govern financial disclosure and accountability.

Going above and beyond the government guidelines, each year Benny Hinn Ministries undergoes a thorough audit by an independent firm that is noted for its expertise in the area of not-for-profit law and IRS compliance Click here to review our audit cover letters. (1.3mb .swf file) | (1.4mb .pdf file) This is significant, for these financial audits occur at the voluntary invitation of our board of directors and are not a requirement of the IRS or any other governmental body.

Additionally, Benny Hinn Ministries has a fully functional board of directors that governs the financial and operational affairs of the ministry. Its members have included corporate professionals, ministers, and even a former advisor to the U.S. president. Although the day-to-day operations are carried out by the officers and employees of the ministry, the board is responsible for setting overall ministry policies as well as establishing fiduciary checks and balances. The duties of the directors include approving annual budgets, major construction projects, fund-raising procedures, and setting compensation for officers and executive leadership.

   Q. Specifically, how is Benny Hinn Ministries accountable—financially or otherwise—to its    supporters and the public at large?

A. In addition to the practice of a voluntary annual audit, voluntary submission to exceed governmental scrutiny, and our deference to a board of directors, we believe that the relationship with our donors is, ultimately, our most sacred trust. Pastor Benny Hinn is only one among his elected board of directors.

Additionally, no other family members serve on the board of directors or in any constitutional capacity within the ministry. Decisions made by the board of directors require a majority vote of the board and, in accordance with IRS rules and regulations, a vote of the board is required to ratify such major financial commitments as property acquisitions, the incurring of significant debt, the annual operational and capital budget, and church expansion.

As a tax-exempt organization, Benny Hinn Ministries keeps records that conform with IRS regulations. We also follow the guidelines established by Statement of Position 78-10, issued by the Accounting Standards Division of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

   Q. Does the ministry make public its annual financials, or publish an audited financial    report? If so, how is this information made available? If not, why not?

A. On www.BennyHinn.org we openly publish both general financial information and specialized Miracle Crusade and missionary outreach reports which detail what the ministry is doing around the world with the gifts invested by our partners.

However, mindful of the fact that both corporate and ministry financial reports can be manipulated by unscrupulous people with unsavory agendas, and in accordance with the regulations set forth by our board of directors, we do not publicize itemized annual financials or produce and distribute annual financial reports to the general public.

It is important to note that the practice of submitting to a governing board, adherence to governmental regulations, and compliance with all sanctioned regulatory bodies fully and legally complies with the IRS and the federal government.

As the recipient of charitable giving, our ministry is constantly reminded of its need to exercise prudence. And throughout the growth of our ministry we have recognized the Scriptural imperative that “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48).

To borrow from business vernacular, our accountability to our donors is best demonstrated on their return on investment—which, in this case, are millions of lives changed for all eternity. As we co-labor with our precious partners, we will be preaching during 2005 to well over 30 million souls, more than in our history combined. Our daily television ministry, already one of the largest in the world with broadcasts in over two hundred nations, continues to expand. Our missionary outreaches are touching thousands of lives every day throughout the world.

Our partners understand that Benny Hinn Ministries, based on a strong foundation for thirty years, understands the value of godly stewardship and wise counsel. For our partners and ministry friends, the results are very clear. Now, more than ever, BHM is fertile ground for investing in an eternal harvest around the globe.

   Q. Benny Hinn Ministries (along with many other charismatic groups) has been criticized    by independent "watchdog" groups. Does BHM have concerns about disclosing its financial    information to independent accountability organizations?

A. Established accountability groups certainly have their place and serve a worthwhile service to certain not-for-profit groups. However, Benny Hinn Ministries, along with many larger media-oriented ministries, has chosen not to be part of these groups which are geared more toward more traditional-type churches and ministries.

Some groups, for example, focus on comparing, ranking, and giving information in areas that include efficiency and transparency. Since these rating systems are often based on financial data derived from each organization’s IRS Form 990 or audited financial statements, in theory this should put the charities on a level playing field. Theories don’t always work, and financial statements can be interpreted many different ways, especially since there are many intangibles that cannot be measured. Efficiency of operation, for example, is very, very different from effectiveness of mission.

Ministries, as with corporations, may have excellent financial and efficiency ratings, yet aren’t necessarily effective on a long-term basis. It is especially challenging to evaluate ratios, numerical performance, and ministry criteria in the nonprofit sector.

It is ironic, though seldom mentioned in mainstream media reports, that many of these “watchdog” groups—undoubtedly well-meaning and ostensibly created for the purpose of monitoring and policing the financial activities of other not-for-profit ministries—seldom are able to come to agreement on how to effectively evaluate a ministry’s financial integrity. This fact alone illustrates the inherent limitations of such organizations.

While it is admirable for such groups to attempt to hold their member ministries accountable, there is no substitute for personally interacting with and evaluating ministries to see the true heart and actual accomplishments. This is why Benny Hinn Ministries offers an abundance of information and reports to partners through correspondence, our Web site, Partners’ Conferences, and more.

Here’s the bottom line: Churches and ministries are obligated to submit to a governing board and adhere to state and federal guidelines—the sufficiency of which has satisfied the wonderful, faithful partners of this ministry for three decades. We are biased, perhaps, but we believe the people who give to our ministry are the best-informed, spiritually mature, and eternally visionary of any partners in the world. They are the highly appreciated “secret” for our effectiveness and longevity.

Benny Hinn Ministries remains confident that its approach to fiduciary governance is respectful of its supporters and of its various levels of government. Moreover, we remain certain that the manner in which we handle our finances must always honor the Scriptural mandate by which we serve: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).