Re: [revival-fire] Learning from Todd Bentley about surviving Media Slams

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Excellent posting.  Thank you very much for your "objective" & "insightful" reporting.  :)   By the way how does Bill J handle the lack of documentation, what did he "articulate" concerning that?  thanks.   (I'm married to a Dr. & understand the legal end of this, but I know Nightline was well aware of HIPPA laws as well as we do.)

On Jul 12, 2008, at 11:33 PM, julia loren wrote:

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The recent ABC Nightline News slam featuring Todd Bentley (July 9, 2008) reveals something that politicians and preachers around the world have learned the hard way – the media is not your friend. As a former journalist I know how hard we didn't work to remain objective and present both sides to any story. We were after glory and would snatch it from any hand we could in order to get the best story or byline or notoriety. The anti-religious bias in the secular media rears its ugly head like a snake and hisses whenever opportunity comes along. And Todd Bentley was their opportunity.   Congrats to Todd who has now survived the worst slam the media can throw against a preacher! You actually handled the interview really well. We're proud of you! Your face still revealed the glory of the Lord. You maintained your composure & you spoke very, very well. And your previous interview with Geraldo was superb. You kept the focus on what you wanted to get across to the media rather than let the media run you in circles.   A good media adviser should have saved Todd the trouble of doing that interview and advised against it to begin with. Or at the very least, anticipated the questions – particularly about medical documentation regarding healings. And I know there are some out there. Most people cannot be bothered to send in medical reports and most MDs don't want their names known due to liability issues. A doctor would rather say a person's cancer went into sudden remission rather than claim a miracle of healing has taken place. Obtaining medical documentation of healings is very, very difficult. A good media advisor could have helped you respond with that. Or perhaps, that simply got edited out of the interview. Well, well, well, imagine that…editing a news program to remove anything that could be supportive. So much for objectivity and unbiased reporting.   For all of you aspiring revivalists out there, take note. I've been a big advocate of urging financial integrity and substantiating healing claims by requesting documentation of healings. Having both finances and miracles documented is a real necessity in today's media-driven, anti-Christian world.  Having both financial documentation and healing documentation at hand would help revivalists avoid what Todd Bentley experienced at the hands of secular media. I know it must be really difficult to maintain both records when revivals are heating up and the crowds are pressing in. Todd's recent media interviews, however, drive home the point that the world operates by sight – not by faith. And if we want to win some over from the world you will win some by providing what they want to see –the documentation. However, even documentation will not impress the masses. A revelation of the glory and love and demonstrations of the power of God, will, in the end, win more people to Jesus than a few pieces of paper.   It is not that easy for a patient to obtain their own medical records much less request a statement from a physician that might be made public. In this era of managed care, in fact, it would be a miracle in itself for a doctor to comply. But try! Even Jesus told the newly healed lepers to show themselves to the priests so that they could give them a clean bill of health….i.e., document the healing. I know that some healing revivalist like Mahesh Chavda solicit and obtain medical documentation of healings. Bill Johnson, however, doesn't solicit healing documentation and articulates his reasons for this very well (Todd take note of the way Bill articulates his stance about documentation & know that a good media advisor would have prepped you with some of these great responses for the media.). Both secular networks and Christian media (like CBN), however, are increasingly pressured to get the facts straight and documentation is the way to go in this environment. It is only the God.tv crowd and Sid Roth-type media and private print and broadcast who are only interested in presenting a one-sided focus on Charismatic expressions of ministry.   So how could God have received more glory from this interview Todd did with Nightline? Media interviews like the Nightline News, should be used to educate the public. Drawing the attention of the interview to the key questions at stake could have focused attention on the Lord and deflected it from Todd. Even still, Todd did a great job of answering the questions given the time limitations and the editing process. Better yet, Todd kept his cool under hostile fire. Anyone who ends up on the defensive needs to be able to regroup and steer the interviewer back onto what the interviewee wants to say to the audience. It takes practice and skill to launch a great interview. Some interviewers get mad and frustrated – but better the media rep loosing his cool on camera rather than the one being interviewed. First one to loose composure loses!   Not only have I been a journalist, I worked for a government agency in public affairs and had some training on how to handle hostile interview situations prior to being in the hot seat. Try working for FEMA in Baton Rouge and New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina & fielding interviews from international television and print reporters as a FEMA spokesperson and Nightline looks pretty tame! I learned more by actually facing the fearsome media pack than I did in a classroom.   So rock on Todd! You're a seasoned media-warfare veteran now! You did a great job on a tough & touchy interview. Don't be discouraged. This too will pass. And God will gain the greater glory in the days to come.   Julia Loren www.julialoren.net Author of Shifting Shadows of Supernatural Power (Destiny Image, 2006)

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