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Thread: Investigative Panel Declares Todd Bentley Disqualified From Ministry

  1. #1

    Investigative Panel Declares Todd Bentley Disqualified From Ministry

    Investigative Panel Declares Todd Bentley Disqualified From Ministry
    12:41PM EST 1/2/2020 JENNY ROSE SPAUDO

    (Facebook/Todd Bentley)
    A panel of Christian leaders investigating accusations against Todd Bentley has released a statement today, Jan. 2. In it, they declare Bentley to be disqualified from ministry. Meanwhile, Bentley is starting up a new ministry for 2020.

    Dr. Michael Brown assembled the panel in September 2019 after revivalist Stephen Powell accused Bentley of "sexual misconduct" involving male and female interns. Leaders on the panel included: Dr. Joseph Mattera of Resurrection Church, Dr. James W. Goll of God Encounters Ministries, Dr. Jane Hamon of Vision Church, Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church and Dr. Don Finto of Belmont Church.

    The statement outlines the opinion of the board after about three months of investigation, during which an investigator gathered testimonies from witnesses.

    Brown says the investigator compiled a list of 60 questions. Although Bentley initially agreed to answer them, Brown says, he did not follow through.

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    "Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator," Brown says.

    The testimonies the investigator compiled include numerous firsthand reports that date as far back as 2008 to as recently as 2019. Other reports go back as far as 2004. Accusations include adultery, sexting (which Brown says included nude photos or videos), vulgar language and substance abuse.

    "Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance," Brown writes.

    He says some of these immoral activities involved people under Todd's spiritual oversight, including interns, staff, team members and other individuals he was ministering to, "making these violations all the more serious."

    Although the panel acknowledges it has no legal authority over Bentley or his ministry, its members advise that the revivalist be removed from ministry and stripped of his ministerial credentials.

    The possibility of public ministry in the future, though, is not off the table.

    According to the statement, Bentley should not be put back in public ministry until he has spent several years exemplifying genuine repentance. This repentance must include "the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgment of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt."

    The panel advises, though, that Bentley never again lead his own independent ministry. Instead, if he is to publicly minister again, he should do so under the umbrella of another leader's ministry, the statement says.

    Bentley doesn't seem to agree. On Dec. 31, 2019, he announced a new school of ministry starting March 2020. Bentley says in a video that he will starting equipping students with his own curriculum.

    "I'm gonna be more hands-on in this school, and I am having even the guest speakers that we have in our school in 2020, starting in March, they're gonna be teaching my curriculum on healing and prophetic and supernatural and power evangelism," he says.

    The school will hold about 25 students and will focus on supernatural ministry.

    Bentley's goal for the new year, according to his Facebook page, is to let go of "negative and unbiblical processes and accusations! God, my family, community, and my wife! Blessings. #LettingGo."

    While he does not expressly state what these negative and unbiblical processes and accusations are, the post went live about 30 minutes after Brown posted the panel's statement.

    Read the panel's statement in full below:

    Official Statement from the Leadership Panel on Todd Bentley, January 2, 2020

    As followers of Jesus, we delight in God's mercy and grace and believe in the power of restoration and forgiveness. At the same time, we recognize that God's Word holds leaders in the Church to high standards, since they serve as representatives of Christ himself. The question before us is this: Does Todd Bentley, founder of Fresh Fire Ministries, live up to those standards? Is he qualified to be a recognized leader in the Church?

    The signers of this statement are leaders in ministry who were asked to review a matter that invokes these beliefs and to judge the fitness of a person for ministry according to biblical standards and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In conducting such investigation there are limits on what can be known with certainty, but we look carefully at long-term track records and the accumulated testimony of many witnesses.

    The opinion we have reached here is theological, answering the question: Does Todd Bentley, founder of Fresh Fire Ministries, live up to the high standards required of those who serve as representatives of Christ? Is he qualified, according to our understanding of biblical standards, to be a recognized leader in the Church?

    As part of this process, we sought to hear Todd's side directly, but he declined to answer a list of 60 questions compiled by the investigator after initially agreeing to respond. (Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator.)

    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. 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.

    We love Todd and believe that he has been supernaturally gifted by God, and our highest joy would be to see Todd coming before God and the community of believers in humility and repentance, openly desiring help to get his life fully healed and surrendered to Jesus. Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance. Instead, we see a steady pattern of compromised behavior, including credible accusations of adultery, sexting (including the exchanging of nude pictures or videos), vulgar language, and substance abuse.

    And, to repeat, these charges have been brought by numerous witnesses over a period of roughly 15 years, right until 2019. Even more importantly, many of these activities have involved people for whom Todd was spiritually responsible (interns, staff, team members, individuals he was ministering to), making these violations all the more serious.

    In our view, this disqualifies Todd from public ministry until such time that he has demonstrated true, lasting fruits of repentance, which would include: the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgment of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt. This would likely take a period of years.

    We also recognize that formal ordination into the ministry amounts to a recognition by other leaders of a candidate's qualifications to serve as a leader in the Church. We therefore recommend that Todd's current ordination be rescinded until the process of repentance and restoration, described above, has taken place.

    It is also our opinion that, while it is possible for Todd to do public ministry again in the future, at no point should he lead his own ministry. Instead, if he was truly restored to God and in submission to godly authority, he could serve in another leader's ministry. But we believe it would be unwise and even potentially dangerous for him to lead his own ministry again.

    Unfortunately, what's missing in the modern church is often the combination of relational and organizational accountability, which would ensure each minister's ability to navigate turbulent emotional, organizational, and spiritual waters. We pray that Todd would find such relational and organizational accountability, and it is our hope that this will become the norm, rather than the exception, for other leaders in the days ahead.

    We recognize, of course, that we have no legal authority over Todd or his ministry, nor do we seek to have such authority. Rather, as elders in the Body of Christ who have been asked to judge righteously, and in the fear of the Lord, we make our viewpoint public, praying that this will help bring confidence and hope to those who have been sinned against as well as encourage deeper accountability in the Church.

    We pray for God's best for Todd and his family and encourage them to seek out godly help with the hope that their lives may be fully restored in God.

    Dr. Brown will be issuing a separate statement outlining the process to this point, and we encourage you to direct all questions to him. May 2020 be a year of redemption, restoration, and hope for the Body of Christ.

    Dr. Joseph Mattera, Overseeing Bishop of Resurrection Church, Brooklyn, NY, and Convener of the US Coalition of Apostolic Leaders

    Dr. James W. Goll, Founder of God Encounters Ministries, Franklin, TN

    Dr. Jane Hamon, Co-Pastor, Vision Church @ Christian International, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

    Bishop Harry Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church, Beltsville, MD, and Presiding Bishop of the Ambassadors of Hope Fellowship of Churches

    Dr. Don Finto, Pastor Emeritus, Belmont Church, Nashville, TN, and President and founder of Caleb Company

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  3. #2
    My appreciation for this panel of brothers and the time and resources expended cannot be expressed to any degree this deserves. It is sad that Todd will cast it aside and sail on into rough seas.

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  5. #3
    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    Overall I accept the assessment of the panel and agree that Todd should not be starting a new ministry in 2020.
    God indeed forgives and TB needs time out from platform public ministry to concentrate on his personal walk with God and family

    Some questions they needed to qualify - Todd was accused of underage inappropriate behavior. Was there any solid proof of this?
    From their statement it is not addressed so it has to be assumed it did not take place or there was no evidence to support it.
    Also his wife was accused which Todd and Jessa both deny she was involved in any untoward behaviour - the board also did not mention Jessa

    I still have concerns about the panel's investigation and how much it followed scriptural precedence.

    The process needed to put some key details to rest which they haven't.

    Those on TB's side have issues with Dr Brown and the process and they are now going public. The panel hasn't addressed some points so there will be questions over the integrity of the investigation.
    There has been mud that has been thrown at Dr. Brown, Stephen Powell and Patrica King by Todd's supporters. They have said it publicly and it also needs to be refuted publicly. Imo Dr. Brown needs to address their concerns over some of things they state about himself and the other 2.

    IMO you cannot just ignore this as its too big in the body and the church deserves the whole truth. It may be just sour grapes from TB's supporters but nonetheless it has to be answered.


    I am trying to remain impartial as that is the scriptural response. I am not defending TB as I agree with the panel in regard to his discipline.

    But if we judge another brother we better make sure all our motives and actions have also been addressed and not ignored

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    He needs to sit under a good ministry...not head one up.

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    Administrator fuego's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bookman View Post
    He needs to sit under a good ministry...not head one up.
    That's one of the points they made.

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    I'm not sure if he should be trusted with large scale ministry ever again if there is a lot of truth to the accusations going back all the way to before Lakeland. It would seem that he's consistently been living a double life. It may have been on and off but his failure to seek help suggests that whatever repentance there was was fairly shallow.

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    Frozen Chosen A.J.'s Avatar
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    Micheal Brown
    My Final Statement on the Todd Bentley Investigation, January 3, 2020

    Now that the leadership panel has released its statement, I wanted to explain my own role in the process. In short, while I totally support and affirm the panel's statement, I did not serve on the panel, nor was I part of the decision-making process, other than to be sure that everything was conducted in an impartial and fair manner before the Lord.

    As for the relevant history, after a lengthy series of accusations against Todd Bentley was posted on Facebook in August, 2019, I was asked by a number of charismatic leaders to help oversee a process where these accusations against Todd could be evaluated by other, respected leaders in the Body, fairly and with due process. (We were not being asked to evaluate his doctrine or ministry style but simply to evaluate the charges against him.)

    As much as I wanted to see this handled privately rather than online, I was reluctant to accept the assignment. First, as with many other leaders, my schedule was already intensely busy. Second, I had not supported Todd's ministry for more than a decade and had no connection to his ministry at all. Why should I get involved now?

    Serious concerns about Todd's ministry had been brought to me in 2005 and in 2013, and in both instances, I had passed those concerns on to Todd's board or to other leaders whom he respected for accountability and discipline. I was also on public record in 2009, speaking against his divorce and remarriage. And in my book Authentic Fire, which came out in 2014, I had shared my deep concerns about Todd's ministry in Lakeland.

    Suffice it to say, then, that I did not feel it would be right for me to sit on a panel rendering an opinion about Todd's qualifications for ministry. At the same time, I was absolutely committed to ensuring that there would be a fair and impartial process, and so the moment I accepted the responsibility to lead the process, my stance before the Lord was that I did not know whether these other charges were true or false. I wanted everything to come to light.

    I also love the mercy of God and believe in restoration. I know He forgives and cleanses, and I recognize that it is not our role to condemn. And just as I have received the Lord's abundant mercy, I desire to show mercy to others. At the same time, leaders have great responsibility in the Body because they represent Jesus and because they can impact many lives for good or for evil. If the charges against Todd were true, that meant that many people had been seriously hurt and wounded. Who would speak up for them? And if he was being falsely accused, how grave was that?

    As soon as I agreed to take the lead, I began to assemble a team of nationally (and even internationally) respected leaders. It took many weeks to assemble the five leaders, since men and women of this caliber are also extremely busy, and this would be a thankless, difficult task. Plus, each of them needed to assure me that they could be impartial in the process, which they all did, to my satisfaction.

    Once I had begun the process of assembling other leaders, I asked for input from a leading Christian attorney, wanting to be sure that everything we did was ethical, biblical, and legal. Then, I asked for a meeting with Todd, wanting him to know how we would proceed and also wanting to give him the opportunity to respond to the accusations that had been posted online.

    We met on September 8 for three hours, together with my wife Nancy and Todd's friend, Pastor Louis DeSiena. We agreed to keep the details of that discussion private, but my stance has been consistent and clear: If he was not guilty of the charges, I would be there to defend him. If he was guilty, I would hold his feet to the fire. (For the record, to my knowledge, this was the first time Todd and I ever sat face to face and talked for any length of time.) The next night, I spent two hours with Stephen Powell, who had posted the accusations against Todd on Facebook, assuring him that a fair investigation would be carried out and encouraging him to turn his evidence over to me for the panel. (This was the first time we had ever talked or met.)

    As for the investigator, whom we'll call Robert, he was referred to me by a Facebook friend who had attended the same church and had previously traveled with Todd. Robert had served on the police force for more than 20 years and had spent his last year investigating sex crimes. After getting his resume and feeling good about his qualifications, I asked him to get involved. To this day, we have not yet met face to face but have communicated by phone, text message, and email.

    Robert was burdened to help in the situation, having spent three days praying and fasting about it, and he assured me that he would conduct his investigation in the fear of the Lord with complete impartiality. His role was simply to reach out to individuals whose names were given to him by various concerned parties, about 60 names in total, seeking to get statements from them directly by email or phone or, when possible or necessary, meeting with them face to face.
    Of those he was able to reach, most were willing to provide statements, and he simply recorded the data and presented his findings to us, offering no opinion either way. If someone had a positive report about Todd, he passed that on. If it was negative, he passed that on. However, there was one very sensitive situation, requiring two out of state visits and delaying the whole investigative process by many weeks. That is one reason why things took so long.

    So, it took time to assemble the panel and find the investigator. It took time to contact the many witnesses and get statements, especially in this one, very sensitive situation. Then it took time for the panel to evaluate the evidence and put together a statement. To all who prayed during these months, I express my heartfelt appreciation.

    As for Todd's involvement, he initially said that he welcomed the process and signed on to it, but then, in October, I received a letter from his attorney, ordering me to cease and desist from the investigation, and Todd made clear he would no longer be participating in the process. While I regretted Todd dropping out, primarily for his own sake, we continued with our investigation without interruption, since we were doing nothing illegal, let alone unethical or unbiblical. And what we were doing was for the Body as a whole, not just for one individual.

    Still, even though Todd opted out of the process and insisted that all communication be carried out through his attorney, we wanted to give him the opportunity to respond to his accusers.

    On November 11, after several days of email exchanges, I wrote to Todd, "Please confirm with a simple YES or NO if you want the investigator to send his questions to your attorney, based on my response to your email here."

    He responded that same day, "Yes, please send all questions to my attorney."

    The investigator then sent the attorney a list of 60 questions for Todd, but he declined to respond, either directly or through his attorney. I have had no contact with Todd since November 11, other than to send him a personal email with the statement from the panel yesterday (January 2).

    The five leaders, then, came to their conclusions based on the evidence submitted to them, covering the years 2004 to 2019, with interviews conducted by the investigator that focused on the years 2008-2019 and with additional evidence provided by eyewitnesses from 2004 to 2008. If you have not read the leadership panel's statement, you can find it here. And while we all believe that God forgives our sins through the blood of Jesus when we turn to Him in repentance and faith, repeated, prolonged patters of sinful behavior do have consequences, especially for leaders.

    If you have any questions about the statement or the process involved, I will be very happy to answer your questions during a live Facebook chat on Monday night, January 6, starting at 8:00 PM, EST, on the AskDrBrown Facebook page. Feel free to send your questions to me at info@askdrbrown.org, and I'll respond to as many of them as possible during the live talk.

    Our goal, before the Lord, was to bring everything into the light, to restore trust in leadership, to call for greater accountability, to expose false charges and confirm true charges, and to stand with those who may have been sinned against. Above all, we were jealous for the reputation of Jesus and the health of His Body, and all that we did – I can speak for myself as well as the panel – we did out of love for Todd, out of love for those who brought charges against him, and out of love for Jesus. We believe that the way leaders and individuals respond to the panel's findings will be very revealing.

    May Jesus be glorified mightily in the days to come, and may purity, honor, respect, and dignity flow through His family. He deserves nothing less. May God's light shine brightly!

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    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    Todd needed a severe rebuke...it has gone on for too long. Sexual sins should not tolerated in a minister

    Hopefully other ministries will also be exposed as there is some loony stuff going on behind the scenes.
    Not just the sins we know are bad like sexual stuff, alcohol and drug abuse and financial problems.

    Ministries need to be held accountable for being control freaks, intimidate people, teach stupid things, being unaccountable, operate a foolish 'prophetic' gifting and get away with nonsense.

    One prophetic person said he had a 'Oscar the grouch' anointing or something similarly ridiculous. All this has to stop and yet believers swallow it up.

    Some prophetic people including some who see Todd's sins also need a serious awakening as some of the stuff they say is either their vain imagination, lies, delusion or a demonic spirit.

    Everyone needs to be held accountable not just Todd
    You can't say foolish ridiculous things and call it prophetic that is very offensive to God

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  19. #10
    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    I am writing this because I feel some grief in my heart. I believe I am far enough away and removed from the situation to stay impartial and unbiased.
    Todd is guilty but what is transpiring doesn't sit well with me.

    I want to comment about Stephen Powell (since he has gone public). I can't recall hearing of his name previously.
    Stephen was the first minister to go public about Todd's sins and get the ball rolling.

    Stephen belonged to Todd's network and about 18 months ago while ministering in Australia he had a 'Apostle Paul experience' where he felt called to rebuke ministries.
    He returned to the US and under his 'new mantle' rebuked Bill Johnson publicly.

    Todd became aware as it caused some concern. Todd tried to reason with Stephen but he wouldn't listen so he was asked to leave the network.
    Surprise surprise Stephen then begins to reveal what he knows about Todd.

    Now Stephen SHOULD of revealed this about Todd but why wait until he left the network. He then gathers others around him to expose Todd.

    Why I am bringing this up - because there is alot of self righteousness and arrogance I can see by some of Todd's former friends and now accusers.

    I looked at his FB page and well as another past friend and they are not reflecting humility - its all about justifying themselves how Todd has been caught out and there is a sense they are in the right and God stands with them.

    Todd needed to be caught out, exposed, rebuked and disciplined but the way some of these ministers are carrying on makes me grieve.

    God hates sexual sin but he also hates self righteousness, pride and wanting to justify yourself by putting someone down.
    As I read some of their FB friends comments many are deluded and can't see the self righteous justification.

    Stephen and others need some serious soul reaching as they point the finger - they also need time out to get their own lives right

    Todd is guilty of serious sexual sin but some of his accusers are not free from their own carnality
    Last edited by Cardinal TT; 01-06-2020 at 05:41 AM.

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