One week after her ex-husband resigned as senior pastor of Without Walls International Church, Paula White plans to take the pulpit Sunday as the church’s new leader, the Whites said in separate interviews late Friday.
White, who held her first staff meeting Friday and spent time looking for a place to live, said she will officially take the reins when she preaches at its two morning worship services. The services will also honor Bishop Randy White, who founded the church with her 18 years ago.
“Did I see it coming? … I can say that Without Walls has never been out of my heart or my being, and I’ve never been out of theirs,” she said. “But I have stopped trying to figure out sovereignty and destiny.”
Word of Paula White’s new post seeped out Sunday when Randy White preached his last sermon as senior pastor at the church and resigned. White, 51, said he was stepping aside because of health concerns. He declined to elaborate on his condition, although he said he had been ill and in and out of the hospital for much of the last seven months.
“I have some serious health issues right now,” White said in an interview Friday. “I’ve had six different doctors say that I had to take the stress, the pressure out of my life. So I’ve resigned, and Paula’s taking over.”
Read the rest here.
July 11th, 2009 11:29 pm
Not enough contrast. This is getting harder to read. I love your colour schemes in general but this is harder to read today.
July 11th, 2009 11:59 pm
I really don’t know what to make of that situation.
July 12th, 2009 12:12 am
Polycarp, exactly what I’m thinking.
July 12th, 2009 12:15 am
I can read it all right, but the colour scheme doesn’t really look like you. I could get used to it.
July 12th, 2009 9:07 am
I like this color fine, I don’t know how anyone that truly reads and believes the Bible can really attend a church like this, especially after the leaders get divorced ,which the Bible really says God is against divorce.. People will follow anything and anyone….and I don’t believe in women preachers…….America needs to Wake Up! if they are gonna follow anyone, follow Jesus,put all your faith and trust in AbbaGod…..
July 12th, 2009 12:04 pm
Meet The New Boss……
Same as the old Boss…
The Who once said those words at the very end of their classic song “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. An anthem depicting how much “change” is gonna come but in the long run, nothing changes….
No…
July 12th, 2009 4:56 pm
I am fascinated by all those who are protesting Paula taking over but didn’t protest against Randy at the time.
However, I do want to say that they are exemplary in not revealing exactly why they divorced.
July 12th, 2009 5:21 pm
Joel,
I undertand, and was making a general comment, but I do think some people are protesting that she was taking over because she was a woman.
I don’t have much experience with mega churches and certainly not the health and wealth preaching of Joyce Meyer and others.
But I do believe in marriage after divorce. Women whose husbands stray often do not divorce, because they quite simply would rather be married. This fits their social identity and life is much easier married than single at their age.
But women who are being beat up have less choice. Once they come to and realize they can leave, they do. They also want to be married just as much as the other women in the paragraph above. But they can’t handle being beat up over age 40 to 50 – bone density and all that.
So, here is the second group of women, now divorced, who are told that they can’t get remarried. They can stay single, and bear the shame of being the ones who divorced and cannot remarry for biblical reasons. Should we design a stamp or embroider a logo for these women to pin on their chest. Why punish these women and make them pariahs?
July 12th, 2009 5:30 pm
PS, I am not suggesting that the above relates to Randy and Paula White. I have no idea why they divorced or whether either have remarried or anything. I am just saying that to derive a set of rules from a rather incomplete treatment of the causes of divorce in the NT, and apply those rules in a rigid fashion is not all that useful.
July 12th, 2009 8:47 pm
Sue, I did a research paper in seminary on Matthew 19:9 and the views were multiple.
Polycarp, I’m one of those who belief abuse in a marriage is also breaking the marriage covenant.
My sweet wife agree.
July 12th, 2009 10:27 pm
Sometimes this is because of what their churches teach. So true on that education thing.
July 12th, 2009 10:35 pm
Count me in!
July 13th, 2009 12:11 am
<i>I have seen women stay in abusive and adulterous marriages when they should have gotten out. More education is needed.</i>
It is very difficult for many reasons, but naturally in any environment where women have a lower status than a man, it is very hard to becomd a single woman again – no matter what.
There certainly needs to be more open discussion of this in a constructive way. After all we criticze too often without offering something useful. I speak for myself here.
July 13th, 2009 12:39 am
Sounds good. Let me know when you’re ready to roll.
July 13th, 2009 1:53 am
I am around until July 19 and then I will be away until the 4th. I expect to have internet but not necessarily time to blog.
July 13th, 2009 2:13 am
Aug. 4
July 13th, 2009 8:55 am
I just watched the E-Blast video on the WOW website and Paula says she can see into the future and it looks really good. I am so thankful that I can turn to the pages of Scripture to find God’s answer concerning this.
Scripture says,
“Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.” Jeremiah 14:14-15
“How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.” Jeremiah 23:26-27
July 27th, 2009 7:02 pm
Randy and paula white are playing poker with christians.
August 14th, 2009 2:33 pm
I’m sure most of you have never even been to one of their services. Both have been a blessing. Unfortunately they are human just like the rest of us.
October 16th, 2009 12:32 am
Paula I would really like an autographed picture of you and I would like to come to your church and meet you.
October 16th, 2009 12:33 am
Uh, Charles, this ain’t Paula
July 11th, 2009 11:42 pm
Suzanne, try it again. You might have to refresh in order to see any change.
July 12th, 2009 12:03 am
I agree, TC. I wonder who anyone can maintain a membership there, considering all the things that have come down in the past few years.
July 12th, 2009 12:24 am
Ugh! I am going to have to go back to the coffee colored one for now – the newest one is not allowing me track visitors.
July 12th, 2009 1:30 am
Okay – I think I found a decent one.
July 12th, 2009 9:21 am
Deb, when we start to follow a man, we are in trouble – wouldn’t you agree? When we begin to accept the sins of our leaders simply because they are our leaders, then we participate in their sins.
July 12th, 2009 4:47 pm
Very Correct, I’m afraid.
July 12th, 2009 5:01 pm
Suzanne, I am not protesting Paula as a woman taking over. For me, it is the entire prosperity religion which as spawned these large megachurches. I can see the benefit in not revealing the details of their personal life – and that is fine. My concerning with divorce and remarriage, for ministers, is not about divorce, but remarriage.
WOWs has faced a divorce from their pastors, the aberrant theology of their leadership, financial ruin, etc…. My wonder is why people continue to hang on.
July 12th, 2009 6:27 pm
Suzanne, perhaps I am liberal when it comes to this, but adultery allows remarriage. Further, women who are abused, well I will not cast dispersions upon them if they remarry. Why? Because the husband (or wife if the husband is abused) broke the marriage covenant, and became unfaithful to the wife. I do not believe in remarriage at the drop of the hat, but I think we should be able to judge and say that a woman has the right to leave her husband, and be helped by the local congregation if she is being abused. Further, given time, the husband will more than often fall into adultery anyway.
I, unfortunately, have personal experience with that situation above. While the woman who divorced the abusing man was outcast because she began the divorce, the man who actually abused was held up. Further, the same man later paid for a divorce of another wife so as to repeat the same guilt-free position.
July 12th, 2009 9:03 pm
I have seen women stay in abusive and adulterous marriages when they should have gotten out. More education is needed.
July 12th, 2009 10:32 pm
Every once in a while, the Blogosphere will come together, such as this Calvin thing, and do something seemingly as a whole. Maybe soon many of us could do a week on biblical marriage, divorce, and remarriage.
July 12th, 2009 10:39 pm
I wrote this early this year
I wrote this, this past year – http://thechurchofjesuschrist.us/2009/02/divorce-and-remarriage-is-it-acceptable/
July 12th, 2009 10:50 pm
TC, what about a meme type system? One person starts it, and tags two, hopefully of two different perspectives (not necessarily adverse to one another). Example – I write one and then tag you and Suzanne.
What do you think?
July 13th, 2009 12:20 am
You are right, Suzanne – and rarely does anyone want to stand up and offer help to these women – thus many feel that they do not have a way out. Would you be willing to participate in the ‘meme’ type discussion?