Thousands Left Stranded After Televangelist Benny Hinn Unable to Enter Britain
Times Online
Oct 2, 2009
http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lvU-DislkI&feature=player_embedded
This video shows US televangelist Benny Hinn doing his ‘let the bodies hit the floor’ routine. There are regular reports of miraculous healings from his missions around the world, including Britain. Benny Hinn was meant to be evangelising the UK as I write, with three days booked from last night until 3 October at Excel in London’s Docklands. But his attempt to enter the country at Stansted Airport was unsuccessful. According to sources he took his private jet to Paris and then tried a second time, at Luton Airport. That attempt failed too, and tonight, Friday, he is on his way back to France.
According to exhibition centre Excel, where staff are currently in a meeting debating whether to put on another pastor, he will not now be appearing.
The problem is that since he came last year, and many years previously, the Home Office has changed the rules on visiting ministers of religion. He has fallen foul of tier five of the new points-based tier system for all visitors to Britain. It came into effect on 27 November 2008, but for him there was a turning back. No amount of prayers can get the UK Border Agency to change its mind when someone doesn’t have the right papers. He or a member of his staff should have read these rules before sending his private jet over here at great expense, and encouraging thousands of UK Pentecostals to book expensive weekend breaks in London hotels, all to no avail.
The new rules form part of the biggest overhaul to British immigration in 40 years. A points system was introduced, with one intention of combating extremism and prevent preachers of hate coming in. Tier Five, however, which has caught Benny Hinn, was introduced to stop ministers coming in as visitors and then making a quick buck by speaking at events or ‘working’ while they are here.
Ministers of all faiths now need a letter of sponsorship if they are to do religious work in Britain, even when, as at Excel, the event is free.
Well, sort of free. Last night, one attendee told me, another pastor standing by took over and emotive pleas for donations of up to ‚ £1,000, along with the donors’ names, addresses, phone numbers and all other details that would enable them to be contacted again. ‘I felt it was very manipulative,’ my source said.
And certainly, not everyone is grieving, according to A Daughter’s Thoughts.
Slaughter of the Sheep is not impressed either.
His office have still not come back to me, so it was left to the Home Office themselves to confirm what was becoming clear to those left high and dry: he’s returning back home on a wing and perhaps a prayer, unable to enter Britain.
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