The Paula White Controversy: Taking Over for Zachery Tims Stirs Up Drama
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 10:22AM 
Accusations of manipulation, angry members, and rumbling about deceit and strong-arming are swirling around the the unofficial announcement that Paula White is taking over for the late Pastor Zachery Tims as Senior Pastor of New Destiny Christian Center. Back in September when EEW Magazine reported that the Without Walls Senior Pastor had been named interim pastor, a ministry insider quickly shot down the claims. But now, after a tweet by Award-winning producer, Kevin Bond, touched off a firestorm of controversy, according the Christian Post, it looks like White is a shoe-in for the position at NDCC. But plenty of people are up in arms about it.
CP says, "Those who noticed Bond's congratulatory tweet to the Without Walls International Church leader expressed confusion, surprise and dismay with NDCC's alleged pick as its new senior pastor."
Since that time, Bishop Ira V. Hilliard, a Texas megapastor who frequently ministers at T.D. Jakes' conferences, resigned his position from the bishop's council responsible for choosing and appointing the new pastor.
Apparently, those who selected White circumvented protocols and ruffled more than a few feathers in the process. "My commitment to integrity will not allow me to support something that I believe is deception and that compromises previously agreed upon procedures and protocol," said Bishop Hilliard in a video message.
After all the controversy that has surrounded Tims' death amid speculation that he had cocaine on his person when he was found deceased in a New York City hotel, EEW editors hate to hear of all the drama surrounding the selection of a new leader to fill his shoes.
Our prayers are with the New Destiny family.
The official announcement is scheduled to be made on New Year's Day.
Reader Comments (15)
I don't know exactly what's going on with this but you are right. Drama is the last thing that church needs right now. And how in the world is Paula White going to take on ANOTHER church? She is already pastoring Without Walls.
I don't go to the church but one of my cousins does and she said a lot of people are hot about this and they are saying if Paula White is the pastor they are leaving.
Wow didn't know all that was going on! The Christian Post article also says that Paula White wasn't even really close all like that with Zahery Tims. She supposedly stopped dealing with him after he was caught up in his affair with that stripper in Paris.
This just breaks my heart. The whole thing is sad.
Did they ever find out if he was sniffing that White girl at the hotel?
I think they need to give it a little more time maybe. I don't think Paula White is a good choice if they are picking someone. She has her own issues and she has a church already. I think they need to start fresh. She comes with too much baggage and they just lost a pastor with baggage.
Paula White?!? No
I think everyone needs to just pray instead of trying to legislate the process. Whomever they choose is going to have to be really led by God and they have a big job. A lot of the members are still broken and very confused after what happened with Zachery Tims so they need to be ministered to. Everyone needs to pray that this gets worked out soon.
Let's keep it real, I think the black Christians do not want a Caucasian pastoring them. They were okay with Tims, a shady black pastor, but not a white woman???? Is that church only exclusive to "black only pastors?"
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”
It looks like prayer has been taken out of process and egos have stepped in.
@Black Church-Prejudice I think Paula White has her honorary black card lol So I don't know if racism plays well here. On another note, I do think egos need to stay out of it and the transition needs to happen so these poor people can move on.
I don't agree with this whole resigning and then announcing it publicly stance. That's pride. If Bishop Hilliard felt the need to pull out, he could have done that without stoking the flames and making the issue public. I just don't like the way this whole thing was done. I feel like most of the preachers involved got into it for the publicity. The media has been ALL OVER this story. This sickens me.
And we wonder why:
1) (churched) folk are LEAVING "institutionalized religion" (I never thought I'd be using this term!) despite the biblical mandate to not forsake assembling ourselves; and
2) (unchurched) folk are SHUNNING "the church AND more importantly, the faith" because of these shenanigans....
I can imagine that the LORD is NOT PLEASED with what is going on with this church, between what's going with (the release of) the founder's cause of death under such scrutiny and now the fight for the leadership. A sound leader has a plan of succession... the fact that such a thing was not in place is so telling, so whether a leader leaves her expectedly or unexpectedly, it should have been known what the next steps should have been.... Such instability is spiritually and naturally unhealthy.
I am a Pastor, and I think this is so wrong, Reba Tims was his wife and she is a Pastor and she is the founder of the church. I think if she chooses to be the Pastor she should have the first right to do so,before a outsider. Paula should be ashamed of herself, she should not even take the position if she was a real women of God. This is so UNGODLY!!!!!!!!
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