ANR Robinson

American televangelist Benny Hinn arrived on stage at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, at about 6 pm last evening, two hours after the crusade was advertised to start.

To the sound of “How Great Thou Art” sung by a choir of 700 people drawn from local churches in front of a 30,000 strong crowd, Hinn made his entrance.

Hinn’s local followers started arriving at the savannah since early yesterday morning and by 3 pm the venue had swelled to maximum capacity as thousands continued to pour in.

Among the early arrivals was former president ANR Robinson who was allowed to sit on stage.

After some 20 minutes of leading the choir in song, Hinn, the man who had been at the centre of a raging controversy spurred on by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha general secretary Sat Maharaj — who at one time threatened legal action to ban Hinn from holding his three- day crusade — promised believers there would be a miracle.

The entire place was alive as Hinn told the audience, “Let every sick body be healed! Let every oppressed life be delivered! Let every lost soul be saved!”