The Benham Brothers

The Benham Brothers, identical twins David Benham and Jason Benham, are American authors, speakers, real estate entrepreneurs, and former Minor League Baseball players. The Benham Brothers are practicing conservative Christians, and are strongly anti-abortion. Controversy regarding these positions led HGTV to scrap a house flipping reality television program that was scheduled to premier in October 2014.

The Benham Brothers
Born1975
OccupationFormer baseball players, former television hosts, authors, motivational speakers
Known forReal Estate
Notable work
Authors of Whatever the Cost, Living Among Lions and Miracle in Shreveport
TelevisionHGTV
Parent(s)Philip "Flip" Benham
Websitebenhambrothers.com

David Benham

David Benham graduated from Liberty University.[1] He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and played in both the Red Sox farm system and the St. Louis Cardinals farm system.[2] As of 2018, David and his wife, Lori, had five children and resided in Charlotte, North Carolina.[3]

Jason Benham

Jason Benham graduated from Liberty University in 1998[4] and obtained a master's degree from American Christian College in 2001. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and later moved to the St. Louis Cardinals farm system.[5] Jason was named the third-most productive real estate agent in the United States by The Wall Street Journal and Real Trends after he concluded 970 transactions in 2011.[6] and listed again as one of the nation's top real estate agents in 2012,[7] 2013, 2014,[8] and 2015.[9] As of 2018, Jason and his wife, Tori, had four children and resided in Charlotte, North Carolina.[3]

Business Ventures

After finishing college, the Benham Brothers began working in real estate in Charlotte, North Carolina.[10] The brothers had had little success until a bank contacted them to work on a foreclosed home.[11] After the brothers fixed the home, the bank was impressed with their work and gave them many more jobs.[12]

In 2003, they co-founded BENHAM Real Estate Group with a national focus on bank listings and preparing foreclosed homes for resale.[13] They also operate Redwood Realty Group focused on residential homes in the greater Charlotte, NC area.[14]

Missioneering

The brothers are practicing Christians.[15][16] The 2007-09 global recession forced a significant number of Christian missionaries worldwide to cancel or downsize their proselytism due to substantial reductions in donations.[17] Two years later, in 2010, the brothers devised an alternative, for-profit model for Christian mission work the termed "missioneering".[18][19][20]

In 2014, the brothers' "missioneering" projects fully supported three missionaries in the Philippines by hiring and training 300 employees to offer virtual assistant and business services. The brothers expanded their social enterprise efforts by opening two CrossFit gyms in North Carolina with some 500 members.[21]

Expert Ownership

In the wake of the 2007-09 global recession and the foreclosure crisis in the United States two years later, the brothers shifted their primary focus away from real estate and toward helping entrepreneurs. In March 2020 the brothers launched their new weekly Expert Ownership Podcast[22] and business masterclass coaching platform.[23]

Film & TV

Flip it Forward: HGTV

On April 18, 2014, HGTV announced it was planning to premier a home improvement reality television show called Flip It Forward, featuring the brothers to debut in Fall 2014.[24][25]

On May 6, 2014, Right Wing Watch published a report that labeled David Benham as an outspoken anti-gay, anti-abortion "extremist."[26] The report listed several controversial public statements made by David Benham, who opposes abortion[27] and same-sex marriage, at a prayer rally outside of the Democratic National Cenvention in Charlotte in 2012.[28]

Right Wing Watch also challenged public statements made by the Brother's father, Flip Benham who led Operation Save America, and questioned the Benhams support for North Carolina's Marriage Amendment, North Carolina Amendment 1, which defined male–female marriage as "the only domestic legal union" recognized by the state until being struck down by US District Court Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. later that year.[29][30]

The following day, May 7, 2014, HGTV issued an announcement via a tweet that it would not move forward with the brothers' series, thereby immediately canceling production in the middle of filming.[31][32]

While the network never publicly gave a reason for the cancellation, the Benhams suggested HGTV was "bullied" into canceling the show by People for the American Way and other progressive groups over public statements they made about their faith and beliefs and blamed a "gay agenda" for the network's decision.[33][34][35][36][37]

Despite Flip It Forward's cancellation, HGTV provided the funding for the brothers to finish their work on the six Charlotte area homes connected to the cancelled show.[38][39]

Filmography

The Benhams are credited as actors and producers in a number of Faith-based films:[40][41]

Arrest of David Benham in Charlotte, North Carolina

On April 4, 2020, David Benham was arrested outside a Charlotte abortion clinic for violating stay-at-home orders during COVID-19 crisis. He was working with Cities4Life, a Charlotte-based 501c(3) nonprofit offering social services to women.[43][44] Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers told media they saw nearly 50 people protesting outside of A Preferred Women's Health Center. Police issued 12 citations and arrested eight for failing to comply with the stay-at-home orders which limited gatherings to only 10 people. Benham maintains he complied with all applicable emergency orders and proclamations related to the coronavirus crisis.

On April 18, 2020, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed and lost a federal lawsuit, Benham et al v. Charlotte et al, in the Western District of North Carolina, against the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, on behalf of David Benham, Cities4Life and Global Impact Ministries, for violating their First Amendment rights.[45][46]

Bibliography
  • Whatever the Cost: Facing Your Fears, Dying to Your Dreams, and Living Powerfully. Thomas Nelson, 2015. ISBN 0718032993
  • Living Among Lions: How to Thrive like Daniel in Today's Babylon. Thomas Nelson, 2016. ISBN 0718076419
  • Miracle in Shreveport. Thomas Nelson, 2018. ISBN 0785215980
  • Bold and Broken: Becoming the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth. Salem Books, 2019 ISBN 1621579166

References
  1. "Benham brothers: 'If faith cost us TV show, so be it'". USA Today. May 7, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  2. Versteeg, Jonathan (August 2, 2001). "Former Twisters standout Benham still chasing his dream". The Register Citizen. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  3. David and Jason Benham (March 17, 2018). Miracle in Shreveport: A Memoir of Baseball, Fatherhood, and the Stadium that Launched a Dream.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  4. "Benham brothers call students to have uncompromising faith | Liberty University". www.liberty.edu.
  5. "Jason Benham Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. "Business Round Up". Salisbury Post. June 30, 2012. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017.
  7. "'America's best real estate agents' ranked by Real Trends". DNS News.
  8. "'America's best real estate agents' ranked by Real Trends". Real Trends.
  9. "RealTrends 2015" (PDF). June 30, 2015.
  10. "Pro Baseball Players Hit a Double Home Run in Real Estate" (PDF). Cabarrus Business Magazine. June 2008.
  11. "Twin Brothers Boost Business through 'Missioneering'". CBN News. September 23, 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012.
  12. "Misfortune breeds opportunity". Charlotte Business Journal. July 28, 2008.
  13. "Whatever the Cost: Facing Your Fears, Dying to Your Dreams, and Living Powerfully". February 17, 2015.
  14. "Redwood Realty Group". Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  15. Law, Jeannie (March 8, 2017). "Benham Brothers: It's the First Time in American History Being a Christian Will Cost Something". Christian Post. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  16. Whitaker, Mark (September 1, 2016). "The Benham Brothers: Double Measure of Faith". TwoTen Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  17. "Cash-Strapped Missionaries Get a New Calling: Home". The Wall Street Journal. October 25, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  18. "The Benham Bros Discuss 'Missioneering'" (PDF). Solutions Magazine. September 2014.
  19. Jessup, John (September 21, 2012). "Twin Brothers Boost Business Through Missioneering". Charisma News. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  20. O'Neil, Katie (December 5, 2013). "How Missioneering Is Revolutionizing Overseas Missions". Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  21. "CrossFit After Professional Baseball" (Interview). December 29, 2011.
  22. "Expert Ownership Podcast". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  23. "Coronavirus v. Stock Market, Benham Brothers Latest Project". American Family Radio. March 9, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  24. "HGTV Adds Nine New Series to 2014 Schedule". HGTV. April 18, 2014. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014.
  25. "Scripps Upfront: 31 new shows for HGTV and DIY in 2014". Media Life Magazine. April 2, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  26. Brian Tashman (May 6, 2014). "HGTV Picks Anti-Gay, Anti-Choice Extremist For New Reality TV Show". Right Wing Watch.
  27. "40 Years Since Roe v. Wade". Cities4Life. January 22, 2013.
  28. "Benham Brothers Dumped by HGTV Over Anti-Gay Remarks, Could Land at Traditional Values Network INSP TV". The Hollywood Reporter. May 5, 2014.
  29. "Debating Marriage". Christian Post. May 7, 2012.
  30. "Benham Brothers Respond After HGTV Cancellation". South Florida Gay News. May 21, 2014.
  31. "Benham Brothers Say HGTV Knew About Controversial Comments Over a Year Ago". ABC News. May 10, 2014.
  32. "Did HGTV Cancel House Flippers' Show Over Controversial Comments?". ABC News. May 9, 2014.
  33. "Should the Benham Brothers Have Lost Their Show over Their Remarks?". CNN. May 9, 2014.
  34. "HGTV Drops Benham Brothers' 'Flip It Forward'". Huffington Post. May 7, 2014.
  35. "Benham Brothers Speak Out After Losing HGTV Show". Fox News. May 19, 2014.
  36. "Erin Burnett spoke exclusively to Benham Brothers over Flip It Forward". CNN. May 8, 2014.
  37. "NC HB2 bathroom law's impact on business". FOX Business. May 10, 2016.
  38. "Benham brothers wrap up work on homes once slated for HGTV show". Charlotte Business Journal. July 10, 2014.
  39. "The Benham Brothers: Keeping the Faith". Cabarrus Business Magazine. May 21, 2014.
  40. "Jason Benham Filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  41. "David Benham Filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  42. "The Reliant". Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  43. "Cities restrict religious activity amid shutdown". North State Journal. April 15, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  44. "Babies Saved From Death While Christians Cited, Arrested in Charlotte Amid Stay-at-Home Order". Christian News Network. April 4, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  45. "ADF sues Charlotte: Talking on sidewalks allowed, unless it's prayer outside of abortion facilities". Alliance Defending Freedom. April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  46. "Abortion protesters sue city of Charlotte over COVID-19 social distancing arrests". WBTV. April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
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