Late last year, Christianity Today,a by G. Richard Fisher band Randy are doing. Paula’s mix- magazine characterized in recent and M. Kurt Goedelman ture of Word Faith teaching, self-help times by doctrinal entropy, offered a concepts, false prophesies, and out- sound observation: of-context verses to support her con- with the weak, the frail, and the fused theology is a stew which is, at ‘‘Pentecostalized Christianity is insignificant. Think back on the con- best, spiritually non-nutritional and, nearly synonymous with the trast between Herod the Great, the prosperity gospel. So while we at worst, deadly. Claiming that she ‘‘King of the Jews’’ installed by the listen to our brothers and sisters, may temporarily help some people Roman Senate in 37 B.C., who built a we also need to proclaim biblical cannot be the final arbiter, because kingdom of stone; and Jesus Christ, truths that counter the ‘health cults, New Age advocates, psycholo- the ‘‘King of the Jews’’ born in a and wealth’ message. The spirit- gists, and the like all claim the same stable and who built a kingdom of ual gift most needed in the 21st thing. The discerning Christian must century is the gift of discernment people. inquire if her teachings are true to (1 Cor. 12:10).’’1 The Apostle Peter warned that indi- Scripture. Paul warned that we should not ‘‘think beyond what is About the same time, the Reuters viduals and groups, both small and large, can twist and distort the Scrip- written’’ (1 Corinthians 4:6) and Jesus news service published a small article sternly said, ‘‘the word that I have with the headline, ‘‘Hundreds sick on ture (2 Peter 3:16). No doubt, the bigger and more impressive the group spoken will judge him in the last day’’ world’s largest cruise ship.’’2 Al- (John 12:48). though neither the headline nor the is, even twisted Scripture may seem article had anything to do with to- straight. The peer pressure of a large PAULA WHO? group can overcome reality. Illusion, day’s megachurches, it did draw a On Jan. 1, 2005, the Tampa Tribune very practical conclusion along this after all, sometimes feels better and more real than reality. listed Paula as one of ‘‘Tampa Bay’s line. How so? Because bigger is not 25 People to Watch.’’ Last year the always better. Bigger is not always Twisting the Scriptures is a serious online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, of- safe or healthy. matter. Saying that God said some- fered a brief biography of Paula Islam, for instance, has more than a thing when He did not is a lie and White: borders on blasphemy. So many billion followers. If bigger were auto- ‘‘Paula White is a Christian Word Faith teachers are quick to say matically better, Islam would be very, evangelist. She is currently co- that God ‘‘told’’ them various things, very good. The ruins of massive pastor of Without Walls Interna- when in fact He didn’t. To try to use pagan temples all over Greece and tional Church, a megachurch in God’s Word to foster teaching that is Turkey tell us that heathens in dark- Tampa, Florida along with her really unbiblical is a horrible distor- ness believed their gods would be husband Randy. She speaks in tion and fabrication. It is a horrible lie impressed by bigger buildings. Yet a many conferences nationwide, with horrible consequences. baby in a manger in an obscure especially targeting hurting village says something different and This is what popular televangelist women. Her small stature (she is reminds us that God can do wonders Paula White and her ‘‘Bishop’’ hus- only about 5 feet, 2 inches tall) 4 · The Quarterly Journal April-June 2007 when she enters a room does not I just knew my life was suddenly ship of 5,000 in 1988, a dispute over match with her powerful ‘big radically changed.’’7 Strader’s leadership started the lady’ voice. Through ‘unction of However, records show Paula was church on a steady decline. By the the Holy Ghost’, she can belt out less than five months shy of her 20th time WWIC purchased the facility, many prophesies. She admires birthday when her son Bradley was renaming it Without Walls Central, T.D. Jakes as her ‘spiritual born.8 Thus, the data seems to indi- Strader’s flock was said to have father’. Living the good life as a cate that the birth of her “out of ‘‘dwindled to 1,500.’’9 child in Tupelo, Mississippi; it wedlock” son and her failed marriage In July 2005, the Tampa Tribune abruptly ended when Paula’s followed — not preceded — her reported that WWIC was the nation’s family went ‘astray’. She then conversion when her ‘‘life was sud- fastest-growing church, having added lived the rest of her teenage life denly radically changed.’’ through poverty and sexual 4,330 attendees during the previous 10 abuse until 17, when she found a Last January, the Without Walls year. That figure significantly Bible one day. She married International Church web site claimed eclipsed Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Randy, a recent graduate of Lee College (now Lee University) in 1989. After two years of ministry in the Washington, D.C. area, they moved to Tampa and started what became Without Walls in 1991. She hosts Paula White Today, a talk show which airs on several Christian televi- sion stations nationwide.’’3 The timeline Paula gives for her conversion to Christianity conflicts with other documentary evidence. Ac- cording to a Tampa Tribune article, in 2004, on the then rising evangelist, ‘‘She had a child out of wedlock at age 18, then married. But the union only lasted a year.’’4 The newspaper offers details of her conversion: ‘‘Her son was still an infant, she was still a teenager, when a Christian friend showed her pas- In June 2005, the Whites’ Without Walls International Church agreed to sages in the Bible that offered her purchase Carpenter’s Home Church in nearby Lakeland. The 10,000-seat comfort and compelled her to auditorium, located on a 75-acre campus, was sold for about $8 million. embrace God in her life.’’5 It was renamed Without Walls Central and dedicated on Sept. 11, 2005. Her late-teen conversion is con- firmed in an interview Paula gave to 18,000 members. A month later Church in Houston, which had an The 700 Club. She said that when she Paula’s ministry web site was claim- increase of 3,000 attendees. was 18 years old, ‘‘I got saved! I got ing a membership of 26,000. Helping Amid all this growth, hardly an rescued. I was radically changed.’’6 fuel its growth, WWIC signed a con- eyebrow is raised regarding Paula’s Paula confirmed her conversion at age tract in June 2005 to purchase Carpen- constant praise of T.D. Jakes, whom 18 in another interview: ter’s Home Church in nearby Lake- she calls her ‘‘spiritual father’’11 and land. The 10,000-seat auditorium, lo- ‘‘I had never heard the gospel ‘‘spiritual mentor.’’12 Jakes enmeshes cated on a 75-acre campus, was sold until I was 18 years old, and I himself in a Oneness Pentecostal the- to Without Walls for about $8 million. had not been in church. Then I ology which denies the doctrine of the Carpenter’s Home Church was built was at a friend’s house, and his Trinity and espouses the heresy of in 1984, under the leadership of its uncle said, ‘I can give you the Modalism.13 To this end, Paula has pastor, the Rev. Karl Strader. When answer to the love you’re looking never offered a disclaimer. And Jakes the structure was built, Strader for and for the hope you need.’ reciprocates Paula’s admiration. He led me to Christ — I heard claimed worshippers from Central the gospel for the first time [and] Florida would fill its sanctuary. How- Paula’s mannerisms and cadence my life was radically changed. ... ever, one year after a peak member- when on stage is reminiscent of Jakes’ April-June 2007 The Quarterly Journal · 5 style. Charisma magazine noted that God getting ready to release WHITES’ TESTI-MONEY some refer to her as ‘‘Barbie-like.’’14 something in your spirit. There’s Others observe that if she slowed a turn-around anointing. ... I’ve Though the Word Faith teachers down a bit she would, in fact, re- got a word for you. Grab the have taught their hard-core followers semble a female Joel Osteen. person next to you, grab their to believe that their gurus should be hand, throw your hands up high rich and live luxuriously (they de- THE PAULA SHOW in the air. Because God’s getting serve it and God wants it for them, after all), the Whites have come under There is little doubt that Paula has a ready to release a prophetic fire for their lavish lifestyle. Because natural gift to speak by rote. Her word to you right now. ... Well, they teach the prosperity gospel — rhetoric is reminiscent of a scene in I’ve got a word of the Lord. that Christians should be financially the movie The Truman Show where Should we go with a word? And wealthy — they certainly live that Truman Burbank, the character this is God getting ready to do message: played by Jim Carrey, begins to real- something significant. God [is] ize that everything is a show being getting ready to do something. I ‘‘An August 2002 profile in the orchestrated around him.