Benny Hinn to launch new TV channel highlighting God's miracles

Televangelist Benny Hinn has partnered with Nigerian Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Believers' LoveWorld Inc. to launch a new Christian cable television channel that would highlight God's miraculous powers.

The launch of the new channel, called "LoveWorldUSA," was announced on Thursday during an online news conference.

A spokesman said during the conference that the channel will be vastly different from "boring types of Christian networks."

"Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Pastor Benny Hinn are delighted to launch this new network dedicated to demonstrating the power of God on a daily basis in the United States and around the world," said Pastor Deola Phillips, according to CBN News.

"2017 is the year of flourishing and May is the month of meditation - this transformational new TV channel has divine timing," he added.

When the initial announcement was made in late May, Oyakhilome said that the world is living in the "last days," and "LoveWorldUSA" will be an effort to showcase God's glory before Christ's return. He also noted that the channel will specifically focus on "the power of the Holy Ghost."

Hinn, who is known for his miracle crusades around the world, said, "we don't want just another boring network, we want signs and wonders, miracles" that attest to God's power.

Phillips stated that the two evangelists began developing the new channel earlier this year after "direct instruction from the Lord to them" during a prayer session.

Hinn's flagship program "This Is Your Day," as well as Oyakhilome's program titled "Atmosphere of Miracles" will be featured in the new Christian channel.

The channel, which will be available in July on Spectrum cable, will also feature other well-known Christian speakers such as Kenneth Copeland, Rod Parsley, Marilyn Hickey and Apostle Guillermo Maldonado.

Oyakhilome and Hinn have both faced some major controversies in the past.

In April, criminal investigators from the IRS and inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service raided the office of Benny Hinn Ministries in North Texas.

Hinn, who was reportedly in Paris at the time, said that the investigators were looking into "certain operations of the church." In a statement on Facebook following the raid, the evangelist said that he was "confident that there will again be a positive and speedy outcome" to the investigation.

Oyakhilome, who runs Christ Embassy Church in Nigeria, gained media attention earlier this year when Central Real Estate sued his church for unpaid rental costs.

In 2014, his wife, Anita, accused him of "adultery" and "unreasonable behavior," leading to their divorce. The evangelist denied his wife's accusation at that time, saying she was influenced by "bad friends" who want to break up their home.