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Evangelist Who Drew Crowds In Lakeland To Get Counseling

Tribune file photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Todd Bentley during one of the Florida Healing Revival Meetings at the Lakeland Center in April.

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 2, 2008

TAMPA - Todd Bentley, the former drug-abusing evangelist who drew thousands to a series of summer revivals in Lakeland, plans on divorcing his wife amid revelations that he is romantically involved with the nanny of his children, according to his ministry.

Rumors of an extramarital affair surfaced near the end of the 15-week revival, and, in August, Bentley resigned from the board of directors of Fresh Fire Ministries. He plans to move to South Carolina, where he will undergo counseling by fellow ministers who are focusing on his "restoration," according to a statement posted on the ministry's Web site last week.

Bentley is resolute in seeking a divorce from his wife, Shonnah, amid "his increased familiarity with a female staff member," during the revival in Lakeland, the letter states. "Todd admits to being 100 percent responsible for the divorce.

"With the development of more friction in his marriage relationship, Todd began to make irrational decisions," the letter states. "Alcohol, movies and leisure time spent with a few of the younger, more impressionable members of his staff and road-crew began to replace the hours of soaking in the presence of God in which Todd had engaged during the early days of the Outpouring."

Because the revival was in Lakeland, some 3,000 miles from the ministry's home in British Columbia, church leaders overlooked the growing problems, the letter states: "By the time we became fully aware and/or were willing to admit how dysfunctional things had become behind the scenes the damage had already been done."

Bentley has not seen his estranged wife or his children since July.

"To our knowledge," the letter states, "Todd's relationship with the female staff-member, who was a former intern and also, at his initiative, a live-in nanny in his house for over a year, is still ongoing."

The ministry hopes the Bentleys will reconcile.

"We believe that there are currently no biblical grounds for Todd to leave his wife and children," the letter states.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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