An American Christian leader has said he wants to recruit 100,000 former gay men and women to ‘pray AIDs away’ in a new video.

Lou Engle told a youth Christian group he had prophesized a ‘first wave’ of ex-gay men and women who would bring about ‘radical salvations and healings of AIDs’.

In the video discovered by Right Wing Watch yesterday (5 July), Engle says: ‘God, give us 100,000 gay lesbian men and women to be radically transformed.

‘Begin to pray it in your youth groups! Begin to pray it in your schools! Pray it in your devotions! Lift your voices today!’

At the same rally for the youth group, he said new film The Avengers, directed by gay friendly atheist Joss Whedon, was a good example of how to ‘fight demons’.

Engle said: ‘I want to be the Hulk. I was so deeply moved in that movie when the music’s going and Hulk’s coming – boom, boom.

‘I start weeping in the movie I am so moved by the Holy Spirit. Now you really think I’m crazy.’

Engle is well known in North America for pioneering religious movement The Call, and hosting events which include 12-hour prayer sessions.

In May 2010, Engle traveled to Uganda and organized a rally there in which he praised the government’s efforts to combat homosexuality, including the bill which called for life imprisonment or the death penalty.

However after criticism, he said he opposed the anti-homosexuality bill, saying he had ‘no prior knowledge’ of it before the rally.

Check out the videos here: