He was a key figure of the Lakeland Revival and was in leadership of Fresh Fire Ministries Canada until stepping down in August 2008 following accusations of immoral behavior.
He admitted the crime on-air, asked for forgiveness, told viewers how ashamed he was, and how he was transformed five years after the incident by the gospel's power.
He traveled to India, Africa, South America, Mexico and Europe taking part in crusades and revivals.
[17] This became Fresh Fire Ministries Canada which was led by Bentley until the time of his resignation in August 2008[18] after his separation from his wife.
[22] Beginning on April 2, 2008, Bentley was invited by Stephen Strader, apostle and pastor of Ignited Church, Lakeland, Florida, to lead a one-week revival.
[24] In addition to showcasing Bentley's evangelism, the revival featured colorful light shows and power-chord Christian rock music.
[29] After the initial weeks, GOD TV, a Christian satellite channel, pre-empted its primetime programming and broadcast the Lakeland meetings nightly.
Though the movement's apostles were divided due to Bentley's volatility, Bentley and his revival gained the support of high-profile apostles including Chuck Pierce and Ché Ahn, and under Wagner's leadership, a public "apostolic alignment" ceremony was held in June 2008 to bring him under their wing.
[24] ABC's Nightline[15][24] reported that "Not a single claim of Bentley's healing powers could be independently verified."
They e-mailed the Observer information on 15 people reportedly healed, providing phone numbers for each and noting that 12 had received medical verification.
Bentley held that the Holy Spirit led him to such actions,[33][34] saying that the incidents were taken out of context and adding that miracles were happening simultaneously.
[31] On July 9, 2008, ABC News' Nightline broadcast an investigative report on Bentley, focusing on his faith healing claims, finances, and criminal past.
[36] Three days later it was reported that Bentley, "has filed for separation from his wife, a former spokesperson said Monday, and will not return to the ongoing revival.
While they all admitted there were serious issues, they did not agree on the specifics as some came from old friends,[38][39][40] others from those trying to be neutral,[41][42][43] and still others who called Bentley a "false prophet.
"[44][45][46] Religion scholar Matthew D. Taylor states that the event "raised searching questions about [C. Peter Wagner's] whole [New Apostolic Reformation] paradigm" as a number of the movement's prophets and apostles had supported Bentley because of personal revelations ostensibly from God.
[5][50][51] In response, a committee made up of Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Bill Johnson was formed to oversee the process of spiritually restoring Bentley's family.
[52] In November 2008, the board of Fresh Fire announced that, "Todd has yet to enter into a clear system of accountability with the leaders he identified.
[38][53][54][55] A 2009 Charisma magazine interview with Rick Joyner refuted adultery claims while characterizing the relationship as wrong and premature.
Following adverse publicity of an impending visit to the United Kingdom in August 2012, Bentley was made the subject of an exclusion order barring him from entering the country.
[64] On September 21, 2015, Bentley uploaded a smartphone video to YouTube taken the night before at a crusade in Pakistan where he claims that a man was raised from the dead on the stage.
[74] As a result of this they released a statement which said "Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance, Instead, we see a steady pattern of [immoral] behavior" which spanned the past 15 years, dating back to his time in Fresh Fire Ministries.
He wants the "Holy Spirit to manifest His glory in such a way that people can't deny the presence of a living God and they have a true born-again experience.
[citation needed] The angel appeared in female form "and sprinkled 'gold dust,' illustrating financial blessings, on the congregation where he was preaching.
"[83]Bentley sponsored an internship program with Fresh Fire Ministries Canada called Joel's Army,[84] in addition to having the words Joel's Army tattooed across his sternum with military dog tags,[85] demonstrating a level of commitment to the Latter Rain doctrine of the Manifest Sons of God, (or Man-Child Generation), as preached by William M.