Guillermo Maldonado (pastor)
Guillermo Maldonado | |
---|---|
Born | 1965 or 1966 (age 54)[1] Honduras |
Occupation |
|
Television | The Supernatural Now |
Movement | Nondenominational Christianity |
Spouse(s) | Ana Maldonado
(m. 1988; div. 2020) |
Children | Bryan Maldonado Ronald Maldonado |
Website | guillermomaldonado |
Guillermo Maldonado (born 1965 or 1966)[2] is a Honduran-American Evangelical Christian, apostle, pastor, televangelist, and author. He is the co-founder and senior pastor of El Rey Jesús, a Nondenominational Christianity megachurch located in Miami, Florida.[3][4] Active in ministry for over twenty years, Apostle Guillermo Maldonado is the founder of King Jesus International Ministry —one of the fastest-growing multicultural churches in the United States— which has been recognized for its visible manifestations of God’s supernatural power. Apostle Maldonado is a spiritual father to 500 churches in 70 countries, which form the Supernatural Global Network, representing more than 750 thousand people. Also, he is the founder of the University of the Supernatural Ministry (USM). Apostle Maldonado has a doctorate in Christian counseling and a master’s degree in practical theology. He resides with his family in Miami, Florida.
Personal life[]
Maldonado was born Honduras and emigrated to the United States in the 1990s. In an interview conducted by Publishers Weekly, Maldonado claimed that Jesus Christ appeared before him during intense prayer and audibly spoke to him saying, "I have called you to bring my supernatural power to this generation."[5] He spent several years traveling across Central and South America, preaching with his wife Ana before settling in Miami. They have two children, Bryan and Ronald, who are both involved in their parents' ministry.
Maldonado has a Masters in Practical Theology from Oral Roberts University[3] and a Doctorate in Divinity from Vision International University,[3][6] an unaccredited distance learning institution based in Ramona, California.
In September 2020, Ana Maldonado announced she was divorcing her husband, citing emotional and verbal abuse and financial impropriety, and started a new ministry independent of El Rey.[7]
Ministry[]
Maldonado is the co-founder and senior pastor of El Rey Jesús (English: King Jesus Ministry) in Miami, Florida. Maldonado co-founded the church with his wife Ana Maldonado in 1996. It started with twelve members operating out of the Maldonados' living room,[8] and currently hosts 15,000 and 20,000 individuals per week, making it the largest Hispanic church in the United States. The church has several affiliate locations throughout the state of Florida, with additional satellite locations in Georgia and New York.[9] In 2010, the church also opened an orphanage, Casa Hogar, in Honduras.[10]
Maldonado hosts the televangelist program The Supernatural Now, which is aired on televangelist networks TBN,[11][failed verification] Daystar,[12][failed verification] and The Church Channel.[13][failed verification] As of May 22, 2013, his ministry, along with other of his affiliated daughter churches, have a combined membership of 20,000 congregants.[8]
He has written over 50 books and manuals which many of them have been translated into Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, and French.
Ideology[]
Maldonado teaches that Christian believers need to use the power of God to demonstrate that God is active in the world today just as he was during the time of the primitive church. He believes that without the supernatural power of God, it is impossible to truly know God and receive His blessings of healing, wealth, deliverance, among others in our life. His teachings also focus on establishing what he calls the Kingdom of God. He explains that the Kingdom of God is not a physical place, but a network of thoughts, lifestyle, principles, laws and fundamentals that govern the entire universe.[14]
Maldonado uses the title "Apostle",[15] and refers to wife Ana as "Prophetess".[16]
Political activity[]
Maldonado is closely associated with Republican Party activities in the state of Florida. He hosted several Republican politicians, including President Donald Trump and Congressman Carlos A. Giménez.[citation needed] Maldonado has also claimed Trump's presidency was divinely-inspired, and called him "the presence of the living God".[17] The church had previously hosted Republican candidates Bill McCollum and Rick Scott during the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election.
Maldonado led the opening prayer of the US House of Representatives October 14, 2009 and October 10, 2013.[18][19] He was invited to the White House to witness the signing of an executive order promoting free speech and religious liberty.[20]
Maldonado participated in the inauguration of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa in 2010.
Controversy[]
[]
This section needs to be updated.(January 2021) |
Disregarding the coronavirus pandemic, Maldonado urged his congregants to show up for worship services in person. "Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus? Of course not," he said.[21] He added, "If we die, we die for Christ. If we live, we live for Christ, so what do you lose?"[22]
Maldonado has discouraged taking vaccine against Covid-19: "Do not [take] the vaccine. Believe in the blood of Jesus. Believe in divine immunity."[23]
Finances[]
In a financial affidavit attached to her divorce filing, Ana Maldonado claimed that her husband owned property in Miami-Dade, Sunny Isles Beach, Opa-locka, Hialeah, and The Bahamas; luxury vehicles including a 2020 model Mercedes-Benz, a Lexus LX, and a Dassault Falcon 50 jet registered under the church's name. She further claimed that he had violated “Inurement Prohibition", an IRS rule which forbids key employees at 501(c)(3) organizations from profiting from a charity, and had hidden assets in Italy, Honduras, and Colombia valued at $120 million.[17][7] Maldonado's lawyers and El Rey denied the allegations.
Bibliography[]
Books[]English/Spanish[]
Spanish only[]
Out of print[]
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Manuals[]English/Spanish[]
Spanish only[]
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Awards[]
Maldonado won the Spanish Evangelical Press Association (SEPA) award for the best original books in Spanish which are;[8]
- Maldonado, Guillermo (2012). La gloria de Dios. Miami: Whitaker House. ISBN 9781603744911.
- Maldonado, Guillermo (2012). Cómo caminar en el poder sobrenatural de Dios. Miami: Whitaker House. ISBN 9781603742795.
References[]
- ^ Shellnutt, Kate. "Influential Hispanic Apostle Welcomes 'Evangelicals for Trump'". News & Reporting. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ Shellnutt, Kate. "Influential Hispanic Pastor Welcomes 'Evangelicals for Trump'". News & Reporting. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
The 54-year-old Honduran American...
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Guillermo Maldonado - The Word Network". Thewordnetwork.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ O'Keefe, Ed (12 October 2012). "What do a Miami megachurch, a sea turtle and roasted pigs have in common?". Washington Post.
- ^ Byle, Ann. "PW Talks with Guillermo Maldonado: Experiencing God in the Now". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ "Our Covering". www.newwinemin.com. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Husband and wife founders of Miami megachurch spar over possible $120M estate in messy divorce". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "PW Talks with Guillermo Maldonado: Experiencing God in the Now". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, Warren Bird, A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip: Exploring the New Normal, Zondervan, USA, 2009, p. 141
- ^ "Presidente inaugura casa hogar en Langue, Valle". Proceso Digital (in Spanish). 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ "iTBN - The Supernatural Now". Itbn.org. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "Time for Change with Guillermo Maldonado". Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ "The Church Channel - Sunday Broadcast Schedule". Churchchannel.tv. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "The True Gospel of the Kingdom" (PDF). Guillermomaldonado.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "Supernatural Immersive Experience Online | King Jesus Ministry". Supernatural Immersive Experience Online | King Jesus Ministry. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ "Profeta Ana Maldonado: Pushing the Boundaries of Paradoxical Domesticity". Perspectivas Online. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Santiago, Fabiola. "Pastor was a charlatan, but few cared as long as he hosted Trump, pushed GOP agenda". Miami Herald.
- ^ "Congressional Record UNUME PLURIBUS : United States of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 111th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION" (PDF). Gpo.gov. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "October 10, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE" (PDF). Beta.congress.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "President Trump Signs the Executive Order on Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty". YouTube. The White House.
- ^ Stewart, Katherine (March 27, 2020) "The Road to Coronavirus Hell Was Paved by Evangelicals." New York Times. (Retrieved March 27, 2020.)
- ^ Padro Ocasio, Bianca (March 15, 2020) “‘Demonic spirit:’ Miami pastor rejects coronavirus warning.” Miami Herald. (Retrieved March 27, 2010.)
- ^ Kelly McLaughlin (December 10, 2020) "A megachurch pastor in Florida told his parishioners not to take a COVID-19 vaccine and instead believe in 'divine immunity'" Insider (Retrieved January 30, 2021.)
External links[]
- Living people
- American Charismatics
- American Pentecostal pastors
- American television evangelists
- American Christian writers
- Hispanic and Latino American writers
- Honduran emigrants to the United States
- Honduran Pentecostal pastors