DIVORCE: Paula & Randy Raising the White Flag!

Both the secular and Christian media are reporting the breakup of the Whites ... no not The Whites the popular Bluegrass/Country musical family ... the Whites, internationally renown MegaBarn co-CEOs, prosperity-gospel proclamators, who've confessed and possessed for over fifteen years.

The married duo pastoring one of the nation's biggest churches is planning for divorce.

Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International in Tampa, Fla., announced their decision to split at their Thursday evening service, shocking most congregants and bringing some to tears. [Christian Post]

Adding a little emotional context is this ...

Members of Without Walls International Church reacted with tears and a chorus of "Oh, no's" after the Whites' announcement at Thursday night's service.Randy called Paula to the podium about an hour into the service. He was somber; Paula appeared choked up. [MSNBC - Tampa Bay Online]

I agree with Duane at The Black Informant on this one ...

I am a firm believer in scripture and the passage found in Numbers 32:23 is no exception: “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

But I'm not fool enough to think that these false teachers will just wilt and wither away without vocal condemnation! What but pride and greed can be at the heart of this continuing soap opera in the Pentecostal temple? Sadly there are few voices expressing outrage from within the tent [another here].

If this continues, the good people of the excitable-side of the church will be forced to hide for shame and the Pentecostal landscape will be littered with empty MegaBarns from sea to shining sea ... and I plan to be on the sidelines cheering their demise.

What I don't understand is how good decent, fairly aware people can continue to be fleeced by so many ... ssssoooooo many?

What her forthcoming divorce will mean for Family Praise Center in Northwest San Antonio remains unclear. White plans to keep Tampa as her base and continue preaching there, but she's putting down some roots here. She bought a nearly $700,000 home outside Boerne earlier this month, about the same time she was giving a five-week sermon series at Family Praise Center, founded by Bishop Rick Hawkins. Increasingly, White, Hawkins, his son and the San Antonio church have developed closer links.

White is a rising TV evangelist who has widespread appeal among evangelical Christians, particularly women. Her "Paula White Today" show is broadcast nationally on major networks such as CMT and BET and her Life By Design empowerment conferences, based in New York City, are spreading to cities nationwide. [My San Antonio.com]

Without Walls is more about the Whites, showmanship, arrogance, and filthy lucre than it is about the saving of souls. The sooner the wrath of God is poured out on this awful group of filchers and milchers, the better off the authentic church will be.

I have no compassion on those who accept a call to teach and line their pockets in the process, ultimately ending in personal disaster and bringing public reproach up on the cause of Christ.

BLOGGERS BLOGGING:

Boar's Head Tavern
Active Christian Media
Phil Cooke [See Cooke's follow-up "Judging Others"]
PJC
Religion News Blog
Spiritual Pathways
Read this rather interesting take on the White's split

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Apostasy, Christianity, Mega Barns, Pentecostalism,
T. D. Jakes, Randy & Paula White, Without Walls, Word of Faith