Paula White’s Return:  Last Ditch Effort or Steadying Force?

Orginally published on Monday, July 27, 2009 at 8:41 AM
by Todd Rhoades

The Tampa Bay newspaper yesterday did a long article on the return of Paula White to Without Walls Church. You may remember Paula and her ex-husband, Randy, built a huge megachurch outside Tampa. But recently, Randy stepped down and announced he was giving the reins to his ex-wife. This past weekend was Paula's first weekend back.

Paula returns to a ministry that has lost stature and supporters after the breakup of the couple's marriage two years ago. Without Walls has endured a dwindling congregation, threat of foreclosure and a U.S. Senate inquiry into the ministry's tax-exempt status.

What has not changed is the message: God wants believers to be healthy and wealthy, and they can get there by giving generously to the church. The more congregants give, the more they will receive.

Critics see Paula's return as a last-ditch effort to fill church coffers before millions in loans come due next year. But others see her as a calm and steadying force and the church's best chance for a revival. They look forward to a renewed focus on God's word.

Religious experts and those who follow charismatic and Pentecostal preachers see Paula’s return as a necessity for her and the church.

Without Walls stumbled in the absence of Paula, whose ministry increasingly took her away from Tampa long before she and Randy divorced.

Randy, who struggled with the death of his 30-year-old daughter from his first marriage, often left preaching duties to associate pastors or guest ministers. He talked openly about wanting to move to Malibu, Calif. Sometimes congregants were surprised when Randy’s sermons included anecdotes about going to bars, cavorting with bikers and hanging out with former strippers.

Barbara Burgos, a small-business owner from South Tampa, left Without Walls almost a year ago because of Randy’s “obsession with talking about strippers and porn.”

“I don’t go to church to hear about sex, sex and more sex,” she said. “After he preached that every woman needs a pole in the bedroom to keep her husband happy, I knew it was time to go.”

The Whites did not respond to several requests for an interview sent via the church’s public relations firm.

Paula takes on a ministry with mounting financial problems. The Evangelical Christian Credit Union in California initiated foreclosure proceedings in November, triggering repayment of nearly $27 million in unpaid loans. The church has until next July to repay the largest loan, an $11.2 million mortgage on the Tampa church.

You can read the full article here...

So… what do you think about Paula’s return?  Last Ditch Effort or Steadying Force?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Todd

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Hi... I'm Todd Rhoades. I'm a Christ-follower, husband, father and I love to connect leaders with other leaders. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step on Twitter.

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