David Diga Hernandez
Charismatic healing evangelist mentored by Benny Hinn who elevates experience over exposition
About This Assessment
Factual claims on this page — direct quotes, financial figures, public records, and court outcomes — are documented in Sources & References below. Our verdicts and doctrinal conclusions are our considered biblical assessment: opinion offered in good faith from a historic Protestant (Reformed / Evangelical) perspective — not allegations of fact. Where serious allegations are unproven or unadjudicated, we say so.
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Biography
David Diga Hernandez (born March 22, 1989, Artesia, California) is a charismatic evangelist, healing minister, bestselling author, and host of Encounter TV, based in Southern California. He holds a B.A. in Theology (with honors) from Vanguard University (Assemblies of God-affiliated) and trained at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in Pensacola, Florida. He describes himself as 'an evangelist, bestselling author, YouTuber, healing minister, and friend of the Holy Spirit.'
Hernandez was personally mentored by Benny Hinn — a relationship he openly celebrates. In his book 'Encountering the Holy Spirit in Every Book of the Bible,' he dedicated his work to 'Pastor Benny Hinn, who is to me a mentor, a friend, and a father in the faith.' He recounts receiving an 'impartation' when Hinn touched his face and he fell to the floor. Costi Hinn — Benny's own nephew who left the family ministry to become a pastor at Shepherd's House Bible Church in Chandler, Arizona (non-denominational, Reformed-leaning; currently completing his doctorate at The Master's Seminary) — has described Hernandez as 'sort of the new Benny Hinn' who 'got under my uncle in a very learning, kind of Methodist disciple type of way' and is 'creating his own empire' by going 'the Benny Hinn route.'
His ministry's official beliefs page states: 'We are unapologetically charismatic in both our doctrine and method of ministry' and that 'the move of the Holy Spirit is by its nature strange, loud, vibrant, and offensive to the natural mind.' His published works — nearly all centered on the Holy Spirit — include 'Encountering the Holy Spirit in Every Book of the Bible,' 'Carriers of the Glory: Becoming a Friend of the Holy Spirit,' 'Holy Spirit: The Bondage Breaker,' and 'Holy Spirit: Curse Breaker.'
A notable tension exists in his teaching on finances. Hernandez has publicly spoken against the prosperity gospel, stating: 'Nowhere in the scripture do we see a promise that every believer will live a perfectly ideal life and accomplish all of their dreams and become a success by worldly standards.' Yet his own blog includes prosperity-adjacent language: 'When we give to the gospel out of what we have now, we will be given more,' 'I feel safe in saying that how you treat the gospel is how God will treat your finances,' and 'Involve your finances in the gospel, and God will involve Himself in your finances.' He has also narrowly defined 'heretic' to exclude the very areas his ministry is criticized for: 'Finances are important, but finances are not the gospel. Divine healing is important, but divine healing is not the gospel.'
In December 2022, Hernandez appeared on Sid Roth's 'It's Supernatural!' claiming his team 'caught angels on tape' singing during a service — an unverifiable supernatural claim that drew significant criticism. In 2025, he platformed controversial deliverance minister Kathryn Krick on his Encounter Podcast, framing criticism of her as 'persecution' and 'vindication.' Critics noted this as part of a pattern of questionable associations. A critical site also documented that self-proclaimed prophet Thomas Cherian, interviewed by Hernandez on Encounter TV, 'prophetically' revealed Hernandez's wife's name 'Jessica' — which is easily searchable online — and Hernandez did not challenge this.
To his credit, Hernandez affirms salvation by grace through faith, correctly rejects generational curses on believers (calling the idea 'this lie'), has debunked universalism, and states that 'it's impossible to know and discern the Holy Spirit's voice without knowing the Word of God.' No documented moral scandals or extreme financial extravagance have been found.
Chris Rosebrough (Fighting for the Faith) has produced multiple episodes: 'Mark and Avoid David Diga Hernandez,' 'The Wicked Deception of David Diga Hernandez,' and an interview with Costi Hinn titled 'The Benny Hinn Copycat Problem.' Rosebrough stated that Hernandez is 'claiming miracles that haven't really taken place and manipulating people and making them parade on stage when he has no medical credentials whatsoever to determine whether they've been healed of anything.' Costi Hinn warned: 'These guys are absolutely swooning people, potentially bigger, faster than my uncle because of the Internet.'
Biblical Assessment
Every preacher is tested against our 5-point biblical framework. Here's how David Diga Hernandez measures up:
Title & Authority
Holds a B.A. in Theology (with honors) from Vanguard University (Assemblies of God-affiliated) and trained at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in Pensacola, Florida. Unlike purely self-taught figures, Hernandez has some formal theological education. However, his primary theological formation came through personal mentorship under Benny Hinn, whom he credits as his foundational teacher on the Holy Spirit. His ministry (David Hernandez Ministries, founded 2012) is self-directed with no visible external accountability structure. He began preaching at age 16 and claims healings from age 13 — extraordinary claims made without documented medical verification.
Scripture:
1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 2 Timothy 2:2, Acts 13:1-3
Gospel Message
Hernandez does affirm core gospel truths — salvation by grace through faith alone, the literal bodily resurrection of Christ, and the rejection of legalism. He has debunked universalism publicly. However, his ministry emphasis consistently centers on encountering the Holy Spirit rather than the finished work of Christ. His book invites readers to 'trade dry theory for a dynamic relationship' — framing doctrinal study ('theory') as inferior to experience. Jesus said the Spirit 'will not speak on His own' but 'will glorify Me' (John 16:13-14). When a ministry's tagline is 'Encounter the Holy Spirit' rather than 'Know Christ Crucified,' the emphasis has shifted from where Scripture places it. Paul declared: 'I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified' (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Scripture:
John 16:13-14, 1 Corinthians 2:2, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Acts 1:8, Galatians 1:8-9
Fruit & Lifestyle
No public moral scandals or financial extravagance documented. Lives less ostentatiously than many in the charismatic healing circuit. However, his closest spiritual mentor is Benny Hinn — a man whose ministry has been extensively documented as fraudulent. Costi Hinn (Benny's nephew, now pastor at Shepherd's House Bible Church, Chandler, AZ — non-denominational, Reformed-leaning, completing doctorate at The Master's Seminary) identified Hernandez as part of a 'new wave' growing 'bigger, faster' via the internet. In 2025, Hernandez platformed controversial deliverance minister Kathryn Krick, framing her critics as persecutors. A pattern of questionable associations: Benny Hinn, Sid Roth, Kathryn Krick, Vladimir Savchuk, Isaiah Saldivar. Scripture warns: 'Bad company corrupts good character' (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Scripture:
Matthew 7:16-20, 1 Corinthians 15:33, 2 John 1:10-11, Proverbs 13:20
Revelation vs. Scripture
Hernandez states 'it's impossible to know and discern the Holy Spirit's voice without knowing the Word of God,' which is commendable. However, his ministry framework is built around experiential encounters beyond what Scripture prescribes. In December 2022, he appeared on Sid Roth's show claiming his team 'caught angels on tape' singing during a service — an unverifiable supernatural claim. He teaches believers to seek direct encounters with the Holy Spirit, defends being 'slain in the Spirit' as biblical, promotes 'impartation' as spiritual transfer through laying on of hands, and says the Spirit's movement is 'by its nature strange, loud, vibrant, and offensive to the natural mind.' He platformed a 'prophet' (Thomas Cherian) who 'prophetically' revealed his wife's name Jessica — easily searchable information — without challenging it. His book promises readers will 'encounter' the Spirit in every book of the Bible, yet Scripture says the Spirit's role is to testify about Christ (John 15:26). Chris Rosebrough dedicated an Issues, Etc. segment (October 2024) to 'Hernandez's Inability to Rightly Interpret Biblical Texts.'
Scripture:
2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 1:1-2, John 15:26, John 16:13-14, 1 John 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
Finances & Transparency
Charity Navigator cannot evaluate his ministry because it is classified as a church and exempt from filing IRS Form 990 — no revenue, expense, or salary data is publicly available. His ministry runs a tiered partnership model: $15+/month gets quarterly video calls with Hernandez, $25+/month gets a tumbler gift and 10% store discount. He sells books, online courses (including a paid 'Encountering the Holy Spirit' e-course), and merchandise. Notably, while he publicly opposes the prosperity gospel, his blog contains prosperity-adjacent language: 'How you treat the gospel is how God will treat your finances' and 'Involve your finances in the gospel, and God will involve Himself in your finances.' He has also strategically defined 'heretic' to exclude finances and healing — the exact areas his ministry is most criticized for. No evidence of selling anointed oil or physical objects marketed as carrying spiritual power.
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 2:17, Matthew 10:8, Acts 8:18-23, 2 Corinthians 8:21
Key Quotes
These statements from David Diga Hernandez raise doctrinal concerns.
"We are unapologetically charismatic in both our doctrine and method of ministry."— David Diga Hernandez
"We acknowledge that the move of the Holy Spirit is by its nature strange, loud, vibrant, and offensive to the natural mind."— David Diga Hernandez
"Impartation has the power to accelerate your spiritual growth. When I open myself to the teachings of or relationship with an anointed individual, I become a recipient of impartation. A portion of what's on their life begins to rub off on mine."— David Diga Hernandez
"Salvation is free, but the anointing will cost you everything."— David Diga Hernandez
"Nowhere in all of Scripture does it say that Jesus has stopped working miracles. Everything Jesus was anointed to do while here on the earth, the Holy Spirit continues to do for and through us."— David Diga Hernandez
"All too often, we wait for God to move when He's waiting for us to move by faith."— David Diga Hernandez
"When I teach people these truths, I'm sometimes told, 'David, you're keeping people in bondage by telling them that they can't be cursed!' It's actually the opposite. Once the believer realizes that they can't be cursed, they immediately have peace and joy again."— David Diga Hernandez
"Pastor Benny gently touched the side of my face... I found myself on the floor looking up at the arena ceiling with my legs shaking under the power of the Holy Spirit. I received an impartation from the river of God."— David Diga Hernandez
Theological Notes
Important doctrinal positions held by David Diga Hernandez that warrant discussion:
Holy_spirit_theology
Their Position:
Hernandez teaches that the Holy Spirit is a Person — the third Person of the Trinity — with whom believers can have friendship and fellowship. He teaches a distinction between receiving the Holy Spirit at salvation and a subsequent 'baptism with the Holy Spirit.' He promotes speaking in tongues, being slain in the Spirit, and other physical manifestations as evidence of the Spirit's activity. His book 'Encountering the Holy Spirit in Every Book of the Bible' attempts to trace the Spirit's presence through all 66 books, including Old Testament books with no direct reference to the Holy Spirit.
Our Position:
The Holy Spirit is indeed a divine Person, not a force — this Hernandez affirms correctly. However, Jesus explicitly taught that the Spirit 'will not speak on His own authority' but 'will take what is Mine and declare it to you' (John 16:13-14). The Spirit's role is Christocentric — to glorify Christ, not to be the primary object of encounter. A ministry that makes encountering the Spirit its central theme risks inverting the biblical order. The Spirit points to Christ; Christ points to the Father. When the Spirit becomes the destination rather than the guide, the ministry has departed from Jesus' own teaching about the Spirit's purpose. Furthermore, the concept that you can 'encounter' the Holy Spirit in Old Testament books that contain no reference to Him raises hermeneutical concerns about reading theology into texts rather than drawing it out.
Scripture:
John 16:13-14, John 15:26, 1 Corinthians 2:2, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Impartation_theology
Their Position:
Hernandez teaches three kinds of impartation: 'Given' (discipleship/evangelism), 'Shared' (influence through relationships), and 'Received' (through laying on of hands). He teaches that 'impartation has the power to accelerate your spiritual growth' and that 'a portion of what's on their life begins to rub off on mine.' He credits Benny Hinn with personally imparting to him through the laying on of hands.
Our Position:
The biblical practice of laying on of hands is real (Acts 8:17, 2 Timothy 1:6). However, the concept of 'impartation' as Hernandez teaches it — where a person's anointing can be transferred through relationship or physical touch, and where one minister's 'river' flows to another — has more in common with the Simon Magus error than with apostolic practice. Simon saw the Spirit given through the apostles' hands and wanted to purchase this power (Acts 8:18-20). Peter's response was sharp: 'May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money.' The Holy Spirit is sovereign and gives gifts 'as He wills' (1 Corinthians 12:11), not as transferred through a spiritual lineage from Kathryn Kuhlman to Benny Hinn to David Diga Hernandez.
Scripture:
Acts 8:17-20, 1 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Timothy 1:6, Hebrews 2:4
Healing_theology
Their Position:
Hernandez teaches that 'nowhere in all of Scripture does it say that Jesus has stopped working miracles' and that 'everything Jesus was anointed to do while here on the earth, the Holy Spirit continues to do for and through us.' He connects Isaiah 53:5 ('by His stripes we are healed') to physical healing available through faith. He strongly emphasizes faith as the key component in receiving healing, teaching that 'the prayer of faith heals the sick' and that 'all too often, we wait for God to move when He's waiting for us to move by faith.' He claims to have witnessed the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the mute speaking, and the paralyzed moving.
Our Position:
God can and does heal — Scripture affirms this, and Preachers N Parables does not deny it. However, the teaching that healing is always available through sufficient faith creates a cruel theological trap: if you are not healed, it must be your faith that is deficient. This contradicts Paul, who had a 'thorn in the flesh' that God refused to remove despite three appeals, saying 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness' (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Paul told Timothy to 'use a little wine for your stomach and your frequent ailments' (1 Timothy 5:23) — practical medical advice, not a faith rebuke. Paul left Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20) — he did not blame his faith. The apostles themselves experienced unhealed illness. Furthermore, no healing claims from Hernandez's services have been independently verified with medical documentation — a pattern identical to the Benny Hinn ministry that mentored him.
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10, 1 Timothy 5:23, 2 Timothy 4:20, James 5:14-15, Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17
Generational_curses
Their Position:
To his credit, Hernandez teaches that Christians cannot be under generational curses. He calls this belief 'this idea, this lie' and argues that 'for the believer, every curse was broken the moment they were redeemed,' citing Galatians 3:13. He distinguishes between curses and consequences, teaching personal responsibility rather than blaming demonic forces.
Our Position:
This is one of Hernandez's strongest and most biblically grounded positions. His teaching on generational curses aligns well with Galatians 3:13, Ezekiel 18:20 ('The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father'), and 2 Corinthians 5:17 ('if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation'). His emphasis on personal responsibility over blaming exterior forces is commendable and stands in contrast to much of the deliverance ministry world.
Scripture:
Galatians 3:13, Ezekiel 18:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:1
Spiritual_warfare
Their Position:
Hernandez defines a stronghold as 'a mindset based on deception — an ungodly imagination, an argument against the truth, or a deceptive way of reasoning.' He teaches that spiritual warfare is not carnal and that believers should use God's weapons — truth and divine authority. He authored '25 Truths About Demons and Spiritual Warfare.'
Our Position:
His definition of strongholds as deceptive thought patterns aligns reasonably well with 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. However, his broader ministry framework — which includes deliverance services, bondage-breaking, and extensive demonology — risks giving Satan and demons more attention than Scripture warrants. Colossians 2:15 declares that Christ 'disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them.' Jude 1:9 shows that even Michael the archangel 'did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment' against the devil but said 'The Lord rebuke you.' A ministry that makes spiritual warfare a primary focus can inadvertently elevate the enemy's importance beyond what the finished work of the cross has accomplished.
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Colossians 2:15, Jude 1:9, Ephesians 6:10-18, 1 John 4:4
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Sources & References
All assessments are based on verifiable, publicly available sources:
- •David Hernandez Ministries official website — davidhernandezministries.com
- •David Hernandez Ministries — Beliefs page (davidhernandezministries.com/beliefs)
- •David Hernandez Ministries blog — 'The Myth of Generational Curses on Christians' (June 2020)
- •David Hernandez Ministries blog — 'The Power of Impartation: 7 Quotes That Changed Me'
- •David Hernandez Ministries blog — 'The Holy Spirit is a Person' (November 2019)
- •David Hernandez Ministries blog — '4 Benefits of the Blood of Jesus'
- •Encountering the Holy Spirit in Every Book of the Bible (book, 2017) — Destiny Image Publishers
- •Holy Spirit: The Curse Breaker (book, 2024) — Destiny Image Publishers
- •25 Truths About Demons and Spiritual Warfare (book) — Charisma House
- •Encounter Podcast — 'The 3 Kinds of Impartation' (November 27, 2022)
- •Encounter Podcast — 'Yielded Vessels: The Cost of Being Anointed'
- •Encounter Podcast — 'The Truth: Is Being Slain in the Spirit Biblical?'
- •Charisma Magazine — 'David Diga Hernandez: We Want to See Victory'
- •Fighting for the Faith (Chris Rosebrough) — 'The Wicked Deception of David Diga Hernandez'
- •Fighting for the Faith — 'Costi Hinn Interview on the Diga Hernandez Copying of Benny Hinn's False Healing'
- •Issues, Etc. — 'This Week in Pop-Christianity: David Diga Hernandez's Inability to Rightly Interpret Biblical Texts' (October 18, 2024)
- •Hungry Generation — 'Is Being Slain in the Spirit Biblical?' (hungrygen.com/slaininthespirit)
- •Benny Hinn interview on Encounter TV — 'Benny Hinn Renounces the Prosperity Gospel' (September 2019)
- •Costi Hinn interview on Fighting for the Faith — 'The Benny Hinn Copycat Problem' (YouTube, AGTV)
- •Shepherd's House Bible Church — shepherdsaz.org (Costi Hinn's church)
- •Charity Navigator — EIN 47-3175832 (unable to evaluate, church exemption)
- •Sid Roth 'It's Supernatural!' — 'We Caught Angels on Tape' (Dec 2022)
- •Charisma Magazine — '5 False Teachers You Should Avoid' (Feb 2025)
- •David Hernandez Ministries blog — 'False Prophets & Heretics'
- •Real Talk with Jordan Riley podcast — 'NEW PROOF David Diga Hernandez is a FALSE TEACHER' (Dec 2024)
- •The Spinning Shekel — Thomas Cherian 'prophetic word' analysis
See an error? We strive for complete accuracy. If you believe we've misrepresented David Diga Hernandez's teaching, contact us with evidence and we'll review.
Assessment Summary
David Diga Hernandez has concerning associations or practices that warrant caution. Not designated as a false teacher, but exercise discernment.
Affiliated Doctrines
David Diga Hernandez teaches or promotes these doctrines:
Listen Instead To:
These teachers demonstrate biblical faithfulness:
- Paul WasherBold preacher of repentance and holiness
- John MacArthurExpositor and defender of biblical inerrancy
- RC SproulReformed theologian who taught the holiness of God to millions (1939-2017)
Our Method
Every assessment uses our 5-point biblical framework. Learn how to test any teacher against Scripture.
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