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Lakeland Revival Searches For Semi-Permanent Home

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By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 2, 2008

LAKELAND - The "Florida Outpouring's" move to the Lakeland Tigers spring training stadium will be short-lived, organizers say.

And the search is on for a semi-permanent home.

The event, which has drawn thousands of people to Lakeland to participate in evangelist Todd Bentley's healing services, had to leave the Lakeland Center on Friday because the arena was pre-booked for the weekend.

Joker Marchant Stadium was the only viable short-term option to accommodate the crowds that have been coming, organizers said.

But the baseball stadium is not particularly conducive to the highly interactive services Bentley has been officiating, said Pastor Stephen Strader of Lakeland's Ignited Church, where Bentley's now monthlong revival started in early April.

Strader said Lakeland parks officials don't want service-goers on the manicured grass of the baseball stadium, which also hosts the Lakeland Flying Tigers minor league team.

Strader said he wasn't sure exactly how the logistics of the service at Marchant Stadium would work. He said he would simply trust in God to make it work.

Bentley, 32, calls out to the crowds with "visions" of the injuries and ills that some among them are suffering. People with those ills then come to the stage for healing.

The revival will return to the Lakeland Center from Monday through Thursday of next week.

"Bu after that, we're homeless," said Lynne Breidenbach, a spokeswoman for Strader. Finding a venue for the services, which brought 5,000 or more people to the Lakeland Center each night this week, is a challenge.

"It's hard finding a place with 10,000 seats," said Breidenbach. She noted that revival organizers contacted the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, but found that it was also booked.

Reporter Billy Townsend can be reached at (863) 284-1409 or wtownsend@tampatrib.com.

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