Toufik Benedictus “Benny” Hinn (born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular “Miracle Crusades” – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities.

Benny Hinn was born in Jaffa, Israel to a Palestinian father and an Armenian mother. He was raised within the Greek Orthodox Church, and attended Georges Vanier Secondary School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he was known as Toufik Hinn.

He states that his father was the mayor of Jaffa; and that as a child, he was socially isolated and handicapped by a severe stammer, but was nonetheless a first-class student.These claims, however, have been disputed.

He has written that on December 21, 1973, he traveled by charter bus from Toronto to Pittsburgh to attend a “miracle service” conducted by evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman. Although he never met her personally, he often attended her “healing services” and has often cited her as an influence in his life.

Hinn founded the Orlando Christian Center in 1983. In 1999, he handed the church (by the time renamed to the World Outreach Center) to Clint Brown and moved to Grapevine, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, while maintaining the legal entity “World Outreach Center Benny Hinn Ministries”[citation needed]. His former church was renamed Faith World Church under pastoring of Clint Brown, who merged his Orlando church with Hinn’s.

Hinn is married to Suzanne Harthern and lives in Dana Point, California.

Via: bennyhinn.org