Michael Koulianos (born on September 16, 1977) is an American pastor, author and YouTuber, founder of Jesus Image[1] and cofounder of "The Send" movement.[2]
In 2004, Koulianos married Jessica (née Hinn), daughter of televangelistBenny Hinn, and as of 2025, the couple live in Orlando, Florida, with their three children. Koulianos has publicly credited Benny Hinn as both a spiritual mentor and father-in-law, stating that he was “miraculously healed from Epstein–Barr disease” at a Hinn crusade at age 12, later receiving Hinn’s blessing to marry his daughter.[7]
In 2005, he was ordained lead pastor of the World Healing Center Church in Orange County, California.[8]
In 2007, he reportedly received a divine revelation and began to preach about the love of Jesus to as many people as possible.[6] This led to the foundation of his Jesus Image organization, and later the Jesus Image Church and Jesus School in Orlando, Florida.[7]
Ministry and media presence
Michael Koulianos is the founder of Jesus Image, a ministry organization based in Orlando, Florida. Established in 2007 as an itinerant preaching ministry, Jesus Image has since grown to include Jesus Image Church, a weekly gathering that emphasizes charismatic worship, healing, and revival messaging, as well as Jesus School, a ministry training program launched in 2020.[9][10] While the ministry describes itself as Christ-centered and revival-oriented, there is limited independent reporting to assess its scope or theological distinctiveness.
The organization maintains a robust online presence, with its official YouTube channel amassing over two million subscribers and hundreds of millions of views as of mid-2025.[11] Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are regularly used to share worship clips, teaching content, and promotional material, serving as primary tools for outreach.[12]
Jesus Image also hosts guest-led intensives and conferences, frequently featuring charismatic Christian figures such as Bill Johnson, Francis Chan, and Heidi Baker.[13] These associations place the ministry within broader charismatic and revivalist networks, although notable media coverage or scholarly discussion of these collaborations remains scarce.
Koulianos is closely associated with his father-in-law, Benny Hinn, a globally known televangelist who has drawn both large followings and widespread public scrutiny over his teachings on faith healing and prosperity theology. Koulianos has described Hinn as a personal mentor and spiritual father, regularly appearing alongside him in services and conferences, including Jesus Image events and Hinn’s global crusades.[7] The ministry’s promotional content frequently references this relationship, and Hinn has been featured as a key speaker during Jesus Image services and conferences.[14][15][16]
While Hinn’s ministry has faced criticism from media outlets and watchdog organizations, including for unverified healing claims and a Senate investigation into financial practices,[17] Koulianos has not publicly distanced himself from these teachings. In interviews and sermons, he has embraced similar themes of revivalism and supernatural healing.[18][19] Jesus Image events have drawn attention for their intense emotional worship environments, use of suggestive language, and theatrical demonstrations, such as being “slain in the Spirit,” elements also associated with Hinn’s services.[20]
Third Great Awakening
On March 29, 2016, Michael Koulianos talked to Lou Engle about a dream he had the night before, where he was approached by John Paul Jackson who told him that the Third Great Awakening was beginning in America, precisely at the "Azusa Now" gathering.[21] The "Azusa Now" was a great prayer rally that took part at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 9, 2016, and gathered more than 60,000 people.[22]
(...)it was clear this was not an event but a movement. A generation was ready to move from inspiration to action.[23]
From this date on, "The Send" reached many countries like Brazil and Norway, with tens of thousands of people participating in the meetings.[23]
Participation in The Send Brazil
Koulianos was in Brazil in February 2020, as one of the guest preachers at the meeting The Send, which included Teo Hayashi among its organizers and was held simultaneously in Brasília and São Paulo.[24] Before the event, Koulianos stated:[25]
What the Lord is doing in Brazil is absolutely breathtaking. What He is doing at this time in history is unprecedented. What an honor to see Him move and sweep the nations. Thank you Jesus. This is the Jesus movement. It's here now. Saturday will be recorded in history. May we be faithful with His trust.[25]
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