Three years after stepping down as senior pastor of Without Walls International Church, Randy White returned last week to help restore and rebuild the Tampa, Fla., church.
“We’ve gone through trials and tests and storms … and we can dwell on that if we’d like. But not this preacher!” he told the congregation on Sunday. “Forget the past. I forget everything we’ve been going through. I stand flat-footed in this pulpit and say there’s a brighter day coming!”
Christian Post.com reports that for the last three years, Without Walls has been led by White’s ex-wife, Paula White. The two had founded the church together in 1991 and grew it to be one of the largest churches in the country. But reports of trouble began surfacing in 2007. The couple divorced that year and Randy White took the lead at the church as Paula White pursued her own ministry works.
Amid mounting debt and a shrinking congregation, Randy White gave the leadership to his ex-wife in 2009. He cited health concerns for his resignation.
He’s now back.
He returned to the pulpit last Wednesday and preached at Without Walls’ two services on Sunday.
“I know this church has been through a lot,” he said as he preached from Nehemiah. “I began to scratch my head and ask ‘Lord, why is that?’ Because the devil wants to destroy this ministry. “But we have to understand that no weapon formed against us … shall prosper.”
During his sermon, he rejected reports that he and his ex-wife were fighting all the time. “That is not the case whatsoever,” he stated emphatically. “In fact, we get along great.”
“Life happens,” he continued. “The devil gets behind stuff. But the devil is a liar.” He assured the congregation that Paula White “cares very much for this church” but that “she’s been so busy in Orlando.”
White was named senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center near Orlando late last year after the sudden death of its founding pastor, Zachery Tims. White has been leading the megachurch since January while still serving as senior pastor at Without Walls.
Currently, Paula’s White name is no longer listed on the staff directory of Without Walls. Randy White, however, is listed as a pastor. WWIC did not immediately respond to a request seeking clarification on Randy White’s new role.
Both preachers subscribe to the controversial teaching known as the “prosperity gospel.”
“I told her (Paula) I’m gonna get in here and help,” he explained on Sunday. “We’re gonna build this church and we’re gonna see what the Lord is going to do.”
“It could be that we get property on the West Coast, the East Coast, through all of central Florida,” he said. “And we can have a big church meeting in Lakeland.”
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