Benny Hinn's Brother Steps Down as Pastor to Focus on Marriage
Pastor Sam Hinn, the brother of evangelist Benny Hinn, announced that he is stepping down from his position at the Gathering Place Worship Center in Sanford, Fla., in order to concentrate on his marriage.
Hinn, 51, reportedly let his congregation know about his decision in a letter last week, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Church officials revealed that a pastor from another church would take over while Hinn focused on his marriage to Erika Hinn, with whom he has four children. The couple has been together for over 25 years.
Pastor Hinn founded Gathering Place Worship in 1996, and his church services today gather a moderate congregation each Sunday – the Sentinel shares that more than 300 people attend each of the Center's two Sunday services. To minister to the local community, the church also hosts a small afternoon service in Arabic.
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The Gathering Place Worship's official website remains silent on the news concerning Hinn, although according to the report, Pastor Hinn had recently ended another "relationship," the details of which were not shared.
The ministry describes Pastor Hinn as focused on "encouraging God's people to make a difference in the world and to help shape the next generation."
Hinn's more famous brother, Benny Hinn, has also been involved in deep marital problems in recent years, which led to his wife Suzanne filing for divorce in 2010, before the minister announced late last year that they were on their way to a full reconciliation and were waiting for God's plan before remarrying.
Benny Hinn admitted that his commitment to reaching people around the world had put a strain on his family, and prevented him from being "the best husband and father" he can be – although he also revealed that Suzanne had been struggling with drug dependency for nearly 15 years which caused her great difficulties.
Ever since Hinn shared news of their reconciliation, however, the controversial prosperity gospel preacher has expressed deep gratitude to all those who supported him during the hard times, and shared his belief that his marriage and ministry will come out stronger than ever.
