A televangelist's nephew reveals what he saw and why he left the flock

Costi Hinn is a pastor and runs For the Gospel.

Courtesy of Costi Hinn Costi Hinn, nephew of Benny Hinn, grew up in a lavish televangelist family lifestyle.

Costi challenges Benny Hinn's ministry, calling it a 'scam' and rejecting the prosperity gospel.

Costi is now a pastor who promotes transparency and criticizes televangelist practices.

Costi Hinn describes his upbringing as "Beamers, Benz's, and Bentley's." His family's nearly 10,000-square-foot home had an indoor hot tub, a pool, a steam room, and a sport court, he says.

They traveled to Hawaii and Europe for vacation and stayed at high-end resorts, he added.

By high school, Hinn says, he drove a Mercedes.

Around age 20, he had an H2 Hummer with custom rims and a $10,000 Breitling watch .

For years, Hinn says he believed his family's wealth reflected God's favor.

Hinn was born into a wealthy televangelist family and is the nephew of faith healer Benny Hinn, the flamboyant televangelist known for preaching in white suits and presiding over healing crusades before packed arenas.

"We are the example of what will happen to you," Costi Hinn said of what he believed at the time.

"If you have enough faith, if you believe like us, if you do what we do.

Oh, God will make you rich." "If you had cancer or some ailment or you were struggling with infertility," he added, "we would question your faith." Hinn spoke to Business Insider for its flagship video series " Authorized Account " about growing up in a wealthy televangelist family and ultimately rejecting a system he said tied donations and faith to false promises of healing and prosperity.

Working for Benny Hinn made him walk away A young Costi Hinn with the H2 Hummer he drove at 20.