The Lakeland Revival, or Florida Healing Outpouring, was a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementrevival which took place from April until October of 2008 in Lakeland,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, United States. The revival began on April 2, 2008, when

evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a co ...

Todd Bentley Todd David Bentley (born January 10, 1976) is a Canadian Christian evangelist. 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 immora ...

of Fresh Fire Ministries Canada was invited by Stephen Strader, pastor of Lakeland's Ignited Church, to lead a one-week revival, but remained there for over four months. Ignited Church took a multimedia approach to publicizing the event, posting webcasts online. The revival streamed live via

Ustream IBM Watson Media (formerly Ustream and IBM Cloud Video) is an American virtual events platform company which is a division of IBM. Prior to IBM acquisition, it had more than 180 employees across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest offices. ...

and received over 1 million hits in the first five weeks of transmissions. After the initial weeks, GOD TV, a Christian satellite channel, pre-empted its

primetime Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

programming and broadcast the Lakeland meetings nightly. The revival attracted up to 10,000 attendees nightly and around 30,000 over the week. Through its airing on GOD TV, the revival became well known by

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movement Charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...

s worldwide. By May 29, Bentley's ministry estimated that over 140,000 people from over forty nations had visited, and 1.2 million had watched via the Internet. By June 30, over 400,000 people from over 100 nations had attended. In June 2008, ABC's ''

Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News' late-night television news program broadcast on ABC in the United States with a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. Created by Roone Arledge, the prog ...

'' carried out an investigative report on Bentley, specifically scrutinizing his finances and his

divine healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

claims. Some days after the broadcast, Fresh Fire Ministries released a statement announcing that Bentley was taking time off "to refresh and to rest" and their Lakeland broadcasts on GOD TV were put on hold. One week later, GOD TV announced Bentley would resume the Lakeland meetings and the broadcasts continued on July 18. Bentley's and Fresh Fire's leadership of the revival ended on August 11, but the revival continued until its last service on October 12, 2008, at Ignited Church. The Lakeland Revival was in many ways similar to revivals that occurred in the 1990s, notably the

Toronto Blessing The Toronto Blessing, a term coined by British newspapers, refers to the Christian revival and associated phenomena that began in January 1994 at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church (TAV), which was renamed in 1996 to Toronto Airport Christian ...

in Canada and the

Brownsville Revival The Brownsville Revival (also known as the Pensacola Outpouring) was a widely reported Christian revival within the Pentecostal movement that began on Father's Day June 18, 1995, at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. Characteristics ...

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal c ...

. However, the Lakeland Revival had a greater focus on divine healing, was much shorter than the previous two revivals, and was nearly inseparable from Bentley. The revival displayed many "ecstatic manifestations" and some participants claimed "esoteric experiences", such as divinely inspired visions and prophecies. In addition to claims of numerous miraculous healings, "leaders' claims that at least 25" cases of

resurrection of the dead General resurrection or universal resurrection is the belief in a resurrection of the dead, or resurrection from the dead (Koine: , ''anastasis onnekron''; literally: "standing up again of the dead") by which most or all people who have died w ...

took place away from the stage.

Background

Ignited Church was founded in 2005 by most of the main body of

Carpenter's Home Church Carpenter's Home Church was a prominent Pentecostal megachurch in Lakeland, Florida, affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA. Opened in 1985, the church claimed nearly 7,000 worshipers at its peak. The church closed amidst financial scandal and ...

, a once-prominent, now defunct,

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

megachurch, whose longtime senior pastor, Karl Strader, is the father of Ignited Church's founder and senior pastor, Stephen Strader. In the 1990s, Carpenter's Home Church experienced revivals influenced by the Toronto Blessing and Rodney Howard-Browne.Hunt 2009, p. 41.

Services

The main focus of the services were divine healing of conditions such as cancer, deafness, diabetes, and paralysis. Testimonies of

miraculous healings Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

were common at the Lakeland meetings.

Faith healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healin ...

which is inspired by Biblical

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...

accounts of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

healing the sick, the contemporary practice of faith healing is important for

Christians. The hope of supernatural healing explains some of its popularity, as there were many first-person accounts of miracles. Participants in the revival were also known to sing, laugh, and shout ecstatically, and many would fall down under the influence of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

, according to revival leaders.

Finances

The Lakeland Revival did not charge for attendance, but attendees could contribute to voluntary offerings that funded building and staff expenses. The event changed venues on a number of occasions, starting at the Ignited Church and sister church in Auburndale, and moving to the $15,000-per-night

Lakeland Center The RP Funding Center (formerly the Lakeland Civic Center and the Lakeland Center) is a multipurpose entertainment complex in Lakeland, Florida, comprising a convention center, arena and theater. Currently, it is home to the Florida Tropics SC o ...

and Marchant Stadium. After outgrowing its previous venues, the revival meetings moved to an air-conditioned tent that seated 10,000. On August 3, the revival meetings returned to Ignited Church. "A spokeswoman for the revival, Lynne Breidenbach, said the offerings have covered their enormous operating costs. Before the move to the airport grounds, she said the ministry paid a daily rental fee of $15,000 for the local convention center, as well as comparable fees for use of a stadium. His spokesperson didn’t know how much the current setup costs. The offerings, said Breidenbach, have not contributed to a significant infusion of cash for Bentley or his ministry." During the revival, Bentley's spokesperson said that Bentley continued "to draw his standard salary, set by his board, from his office in Canada. It is a modest salary and is in the five-figure range", and that Fresh Fire Ministries is audited annually. A newspaper in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

reported that Bentley owned a home in Abbotsford,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, a 2007 GMC Sierra, and a 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Bentley said that he would open the books for independent auditors. However, requests for financial disclosure from ''

World Magazine ''World'' (often stylized in all-caps as ''WORLD'') is a biweekly Christian news magazine, published in the United States by God's World Publications, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Asheville, North Carolina. ''World''s declared pe ...

'' were met with a comment that Bentley was "too busy keeping up with what God is doing" to provide financial information.

Decline and impact

Bentley severed his association with and departed the revival under controversial circumstances on August 11. He admitted to his staff in August that he and his wife were separating and resigned from Fresh Fire Ministries. The revival continued with visiting speakers at Ignited Church until October 12, 2008. While Ignited Church continued to proclaim ongoing revival services after this date, the previous worldwide interest had faded. The revival's impact was widespread due to the Internet and satellite television. Stephen Strader has said that Ignited Church will launch an International Apostolic Center and Ignited Network of Ministries, designed to bring together Lakeland-inspired revivals by Todd Bentley to launch the Portland Outpouring. Evangelist Hamilton Filmalter was commissioned.

Controversy

The revival generated some controversy among members of the Christian community, as some leaders questioned (or even outright rejected) its authenticity. There was even criticism from inside the Charismatic/Pentecostal part of the Church. For instance, in response to concerns raised over the revival, George O. Wood, general superintendent of the

Assemblies of God USA The Assemblies of God USA (AG), officially the General Council of the Assemblies of God, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in the United States founded in 1914 during a meeting of white Pentecostal ministers at Hot Springs, Arkansas (with e ...

, of which Ignited Church is a member, issued a statement on revival in June 2008. While not mentioning Lakeland specifically, the statement cautioned against over emphasis on charismatic manifestations and miracles, stating that "Miraculous manifestations are never the test of a true revival. Fidelity to God's Word is the test". A noted Charismatic Bible scholar, theologian, author, and publisher, Steven Lambert, published a series of scathing articles soon after the meetings began, denouncing them as "wildfire," i.e., a false revival or movement, and demonstrating characteristics of the occult and cultism, remonstrating their principals, participants, and promoters, as well as repudiating the doctrines and practices fostered by and under the auspices of the meetings' organizers and participants. Other Christian leaders challenged Bentley because they view Charismatic and Pentecostal doctrine as being essentially heretical. Some criticism stemmed from some of Todd Bentley's unorthodox practices, which included shouting "Bam, Bam!" while praying for the sick and testifying to having had visions of an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

named Emma. Bentley's most controversial claims consisted of over twenty-five cases where he said the dead were raised away from the stage. In an effort to verify reported healings, Bentley's staff said they welcomed as much documentation as people were willing to give, including verification from doctors. ABC's ''Nightline'') reported that "Not a single claim of Bentley's healing powers could be independently verified." However, the ''Charlotte Observer'' reported on the same series of meetings, "The revival's media relations staff has tried to document healings. They e-mailed the Observer information on 15 people reportedly healed, providing phone numbers for each and noting that 12 had received medical verification. The Observer contacted five, plus three whose names were not provided, including Burgee. Each said God had healed them through, or related to, Bentley and the Lakeland services." Strader responded to the Nightline report with the following statement, "Strader said privacy concerns and laws forbidding the release of medical records have prevented revival officials from releasing complete information about the identities and conditions of people claiming to be healed." World Magazine also reported on looking into the validity of healing claims with mixed results. At times, the healing services were criticized in mainstream media and on Internet blogs for the occasional violence done to the participants, in the tradition of Smith Wigglesworth. Todd Bentley was known to forcefully kick, hit, smack or knock over participants. In one incident, a man was knocked over and lost a tooth. In another, an elderly woman was intentionally kicked in the face. Bentley held that the Holy Spirit led him to such actions, saying that those incidents were taken out of context and adding that miracles were happening simultaneously. Trevor Baker, who had invited Bentley to the Revival Fires Church in Dudley (UK), also defended these actions, saying: "He never does anything like that without first asking for the person's permission.""US Child Sex Offender Is Coming to Preach in the Midlands; HE CLAIMS TO CURE VICTIMS BY BEATING THEM", ''Sunday Mercury'' (Birmingham, England), July 6, 2008

References

External links

{{External links, date=May 2017
Ignited Church

Fresh Fire USA Ministries

Lakeland Revival Documentary
Christian revivals Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity Angelic apparitions Resurrection