wherever I go God rules when I walk on White House grounds God walks on White House grounds when I go into the dry cleaner that dry cleaning place becomes holy I had every right and authority to declare the White House as Holy Ground because I was standing there and where I stand is Holy it was about an assignment to say no to president Trump would be saying no to God and there and I won't do that you need to send in $3500 you need to send in $35,000 you need to send in that $100,000 check if you do not write that PO box and you do not call that tollfree number and you do not become a Ministry of sustainer you will never see sustainment in your life and your dream will die your call will die in a world of faith and flashy lights mega churches and their pastors sometimes come with mega drama none quite encapsulate that like Pastor Paula White in her world marital Affairs bankrupting churches and using Church money to pay for plastic surgery aren't unheard of as a young girl who lived in a trailer and became a young married mother she grew up to become a preacher after an affair with the associate pastor of her church and not before they ran off together regardless it seemed Pastor Paulo was destined for the stage she led a Congregation of 22,000 members became a multimillion iire hosted a Christian TV show owned a private jet and an 8,000 ft beachfront home she also loved to preach to celebrities one being Donald Trump who she helped gain the Evangelical vote in 2016 gone were the days of grabbing women by the pastor Paula made him shiny and new for the Evangelical Elite and while you can polish a turd you can't remove the stink and a lingering stench of betrayal and greed has followed Paula her entire career and three marriages but Paula won't stop believing which is why she married a member of the band Journey and turned him into a pastor as well this is the scandalous story of Pastor Paulo White [Music] Paula Michelle fur was born on April 20th of 1966 in tupo Mississippi to Donald and Myra fur she had one half brother named Mark who was Myra's son from before marrying Donald Paula's childhood was idic at first her parents ran a chain of successful toy stores and restaurants as wealthy business owners they held memberships at prestigious country clubs and traveled often in the early 2000s in an interview with CBN the Christian broadcast network Paula said quote my father took care of me every day he would take me to breakfast every morning and then to the country club my mom ran the businesses they were entrepreneurs we owned toy stores craft stores restaurants and seafood chains so I just knew that loving arm that would hold me and draw smiley faces on my pancakes I was always told I was daddy's little girl in fact we own toy stores and I would run in and want to get the latest toy off the shelf my mom would say no way and my dad would say get whatever you want baby end quote but despite the glossy exterior and financial success the marriage was short-lived tension between the couple was rising and their fights were becoming more intense with each passing day eventually Myra decided she had to leave when Paulo was 5 years old she packed up her children and fled to Tennessee but Donald wasn't letting go so easy he followed after his family and instigated a violent tug of war one night literally grabbing Paula's little hand and demanding that she be allowed to live with him Myra grabbed Paula's other hand and refused to let her daughter go Donald threatened to take his own life if he didn't get his way Myra refused to let go of Paula which only enraged Donald further and he began to beat his wife in front of both Paula and mark the police were eventually called and Donald was taken to to jail overnight when he got out he made good on his promise and unal lived himself that very same day the shocking death of Donald triggered a downward spiral for Myra she turned to alcohol to numb the pain despite her declining mental health she continued to operate the family businesses while at work Paula and Mark were left with babysitters and caregivers it was during this time Paula's world became even darker as early as 6 years old she became the victim of essay from various adults in her life including caregivers and neighbors the impact of this trauma on her young mind was devastating and in an effort to find the control she desperately craved she started a vicious cycle of multiple Eating Disorders sometimes refusing to eat for days at a time the Eating Disorders only served to make Paula feel worse about herself and in her own words by the time she was a young teen she s the Comfort she missed from her father in the arms and beds of countless men while still a teenager her mother met and married a two-star general in the US Navy she once again packed up Paula and Mark and moved to her husband's Station in Washington DC in the hopes that he would provide a return to their once stable family environment fortunately with a new start Paula managed to do well in school and graduated from senica Valley High in Maryland Paula was 18 years old when she had her first religious experience and it would be a moment that changed changed the trajectory of her life forever in that same interview with CBN Paula said she was sitting on the couch at her friend's house when her friend's uncle came into the room looked at her and said I can see your pain Paula went on to say quote I'm thinking how can you see any pain I am a master at this time at masking any hurt and anything that would show the dysfunction he began to pierce me with words that penetrated my being he starts saying I know what you're going through he doesn't know anything about who I am my background he gets out of Bible and I don't even know what a Bible is I have no idea what he's doing he says I have the answer for everything that's hurting you for every problem that you face he just begins to what I call read me my mail he takes me through the word of God shows me the Plan of Salvation not only does he lead me to the Lord but he releases all the things in my past shows me from the word of God that I don't have to be a victim to the things that happen to me I have this Supernatural encounter I mean I got saved I got rescued I was radically changed I cannot tell you what exploded on the inside of my being I can just say I for the first time in my life knew love end quote despite never having set foot in a church Paula signed up to volunteer at the Damascus Church of God under the leadership of Reverend Frank White the very next day things were about to take an even more eventful turn when Paula laid eyes on Dean Knight for the first time at a rock concert in early 1985 Dean was a handsome All-American rocker and the pair fell in love hard and fast within months Paula found out she was pregnant and they married a short time after the birth of their son Bradley in November of 1985 Paula fur was now Paula Knight during her son's early years Paula continued to volunteer at the church when Reverend Frank wasn't around his son Randy would lead the church events as the associate pastor Pastor Randy was married with three children of his own but that didn't stop his reputation as a ladies man he was known to flirt with the church women and allegedly kept a bookmark in his Bible covered in handwritten notes of women he found attractive one of those names was Paula in 1987 when Paula and Dean's son was 2 years old Pastor Randy began to Ask Paula to help him with Church events and activities before long it was clear there was something going on between the pair and none of it was spiritual their betrayed Partners sought guidance from the church leadership on how to approach this issue while church members called them out publicly but nothing deterred Randy and Paula from their relationship and in 1988 they moved from Damascus to Fort Washington Maryland to start a life together the following year they each filed for divorce from their spouses and within 12 months they were married Paula Knight was now Paula white not long after the wedding the couple moved to Tampa and began working for bashore United Methodist Church Randy was appointed as a youth pastor while Paula was given a teaching position at the church's school where Randy was charismatic and outgoing his wife was reserved and introspective perfectly playing the role of a Minister's Wife some who knew the couple would later describe her as quote an impressionable young woman with a little girl quality Star Struck and enamored of Randy and he was the director of her life telling her how to behave end quote the couple immediately made an impression on the congregation there's nothing more important to a church than getting youngsters on board with religious messaging and under Randy and Paula's leadership the youth group swelled in membership and engagement it was a perfect match until one day when a church member approached Church officials to say that while they were out in town they happened to see a storefront sign announcing a new church headed by none other than Reverend Randy White the church was taken aback mostly because when Randy interviewed for the Youth leader position he agreed he wouldn't start his own congregation in the vicinity when the pastor questioned Randy about the sign he blamed the painter for being premature and putting up the poster but he didn't deny his intention to start his own church Randy and Paula were fired that same day thus began Paula and Randy's new ministry which they named South Tampa Christian Center in January of 1991 their new congregation got off to a strong start numerous members of bashore church followed the couple to their new location many after being given Promises of church leadership positions Paula and Randy also uplifted a database of more than 350 current and previous members of Bayshore then they had their new staff mail out an announcement about their new church which netted them even more members within months their new ministry had outgrown its storefront location and they moved into a large Warehouse in Auburn Dale Florida as the weekly numbers swelled from a Congregation of 125 to more than 1,500 even that venue became too small and so they began hosting two Sunday morning services to accommodate their flock as the church grew and given their controversial start the whites were very careful about how church employees exited their Ministry rather than trusting their word the whites made staff sign an agreement stating if they quit or were terminated they would not start a church organizational fellowship or work at another church within a 40m radius for at least 2 years in only four short years from 1987 to 1991 Paula and Randy went from being a fair having churchgoers to youth leaders in a new church influencing the congregation's children to then stealing members of said church and becom coming pastors themselves but these would be the least of Randy and Paula White's [Music] scandals in 1997 the couple renamed their Church to Without Walls Ministry meanwhile Paula had become well established as a preacher in her own right and in many ways she was more popular than her husband because of the teachings in a book Christians believe a sacred text pastorship was and in many ways still is a male dominated industry which set Paula apart from her competition she was frequently asked to appear at churches in other states and Nationwide conferences by then her soft and feminine qualities she was known for had been molded by Randy into a more assertive and dynamic public Persona her increased confidence and Powerful delivery style resonated with many followers enhancing her popularity across the Evangelical community Paula's ability to connect with people on a personal level combined with her increasingly authoritative Presence at the pulpit allowed her to reach and influence a wider audience she preached about forgiveness resilience and her God's transformative power in the lives of Believers she also leaned heavily into Prosperity Gospel teachings which claim that Faith positive thought and speech and giving money to religious causes are directly linked to God's blessings in the form of personal success and prosperity Paula's sermons emphasize that God wants his followers to be prosperous in all aspects of life including wealth health and relationships she often cited scriptures she believed supported this view encouraging her congregation to sew what she called Financial seeds through donations as a way to unlock Divine blessings in other words money was a shortcut to Salvation and Paula was the bank Paula frequently referred to her personal story of overcoming adversity ranging from her tumultuous childhood to the challenges she faced in her early adult life one of her favorite testimonies to preach about States quote at 18 years old I encountered faith for the first time I was living in a trailer in Mount Ary Maryland and in America they would have at that time called me trailer trash but God is in the recycling business he takes what other people call trash and turns it into treasure end quote she also preached about the challenges of raising four children Paula had only one child of her own from her relationship with Dean Knight and three stepchildren from ry's previous marriage but in one of her TV broadcasts she stated it was a struggle raising four children that quote came out of my birth canal this repackaging of the truth was a common theme in Paula's sermons for example the controversial start to her and ry's relationship and their Ministry was given a whole new timeline in interviews books and appearances over the years Randy and Paula glossed over the fact they were both married when they began their relationship as there's nothing more contradictory than a pastor preaching about the sanctity of marriage while knowing they had engaged in an affair of their own despite their attempts to rewrite what happened in those early years the White's origin story provides some context to the problematic foundations of their Ministry some of which wouldn't come to light for many years in another reworking of the truth Paula was interviewed for celeb staff celeb staff was a short-lived magazine that profiled people who worked alongside celebrities in the article Paulo was described as the orchestrator of many miraculous transformations in those who had otherwise been cast aside by Society the article provided the example a 14-year-old terrion Alvarez who threw acid on a student's face and then attacked the girl with a razor blade in 1996 despite their age terrion and her co-accused were charged as adults and sentenced to 7 years in prison however the judge exercised leniency and converted the sentence to a year of home detention and 9 years probation during this period terion attended Destiny Academy which was a private school run by Without Walls and she thrived under the supportive and nurturing environment the ministry provided she joined their dance team and youth group and gave public talks about her second chance at life after terion graduated she followed her dreams of becoming a hairdresser and later a teacher but Paula hijacked the narrative and inserted herself where she didn't belong she stated she had personally mentored terion from the time of the incident and paid for her to attend cosmetology school she also claimed terion had been her hairdresser and implied that tron's Redemption came about because of her input when the article was published terion declared that she had never even met Paulo white she only had contact with Randy and his staff and only after her sentence she asked the magazine to issue a retraction on the aspects of the story which were incorrect but she never received a reply so she hired a lawyer who wrote a letter on her behalf the magazine never responded to her or her attorney about the allegations terion ultimately decided the battle wasn't worth her effort and dropped it Al together the write up in celeb staff was one of the early indications that Paula had transcended from simple preacher Hood into an entirely new status that of celebrity or close to it by the early 2000s the couple were reaping the rewards of their Ministry they purchased an 8,000 s foot home in the prestigious suburb of Bayshore in Tampa Florida the 2008 market value of the home was listed at $2.6 million in the year 2000 Paula got another big break when someone she calls her spiritual father Bishop TD Jakes invited her to speak at his woman thou art loosed conference Bishop Jake is the pastor of the Potter house a Dallas mega church with more than 30,000 members and he is black a fact which is relevant only because the inside access Bishop Jakes offered to the black Evangelical Community which would come to be one of Paula's most pivotal endorsements but more on that later in December 2001 Paula took her next step into the public domain when she hosted the first episode of Paulo white today soon the show is being broadcast across nine television networks one of which was Black Entertainment Television or bet by then Paula started speaking differently too in one sermon she stated slap somebody right upside their weave and say get in the flow end quote and somebody needs to hear that this morning because your situation is contradicting what a predicament when you when your promise high is contradictory to your predicament a and God is saying to you you need to know that the same God that started it his name is Alpha his name is Omega he's the beginning but he's also the end he's orchestrating H you don't even understand but the Bible says your footsteps are being directed confirmed by the Lord you don't know why you're going through what you're going through but God says pulling it all together I'm going to take all of it and that's imperative because he's not only going to finish it but he declares that the end shall be better than the beginning for the Bible says in job 8:7 though thy beginning was small yet the latter end you shall greatly increase the Bible declares that he will take you from increase to increase the latter and the former Reign shall come together you have to know that there's more ahead of you than there ever has been behind you I'm telling you and the truth of it is is they don't even have a clue your husband don't even have a clue what God's doing with you your children don't even have a clue what God's doing with you your boss don't even understand you're going to own the company one day got to preach and need to stay focused only one year later thanks to Paula White today her growing popularity was opening doors to several celebrities There Was Daryl strawberry a former professional baseball player who was imprisoned for drug possession Paula became Daryl's personal pastor and employed his wife as a personal assistant for her speaking tours Paula counted Michael Jackson as a friend and visited him at Neverland Ranch in 2003 after his arrest on child sa charges she also appeared on the Tyra Bank show for an an episode about promiscuity it was the first of several appearances on the show for Paula as she worked her way into the position of Tyra's personal life coach but of all the celebrities she crossed paths with none would have more of an impact on Paula's life than the son of a Real Estate Mogul in 2002 Paula received a call from Donald Trump where he shared he had watched her show and wanted to tell her how fantastic she was Paula said her call with Donald went like thise he said are fantastic he said you have the it factor I said sir we call that the anointing end quote after that phone call Paula and Donald built what would become a long-lasting and beneficial relationship based on their shared ideology Donald's affinity for Paula's Prosperity Gospel message aligns well with his admiration for Norman Vincent Peele author of The Power of Positive Thinking as he has frequently cited peele's book as a significant influence in his life the power of positive thinking promotes the idea that a positive mental attitude supported by faith can lead to success happiness and personal fulfillment this concept closely mirrors the principles of the Prosperity Gospel Paula Advocates suggesting that Faith positive speech and financial contributions to religious causes will bring personal wealth and health for instance she often teaches that sewing Financial seeds into the ministry is a Biblical way to ensure Financial blessing from God Donald's alignment with these ideas can be seen in his own rhetoric which often combines Notions of success what he calls Personal Achievement and a somewhat transactional view of Faith where belief is directly linked to personal prosperity and donations to causes greater than the individual both the Prosperity Gospel and Peel's teachings encapsulate a broader philosophy often linked to the Law of Attraction which suggests that positive thoughts bring positive results and negative thoughts bring negative results while these ideas can be motiv ating and uplifting they also have a darker side particularly in their tendency towards victim blaming this occurs when individuals facing hardship or failure are told that their difficulties are a result of their negative thinking or insufficient Faith or effort or in Paula's case their lack of financial support of her church this not only shifts the blame to the individual for circumstances often beyond their control but also overlooks systemic issues that can affect a person's life circumstance ances this ideology can lead individuals to believe they are solely responsible for their misfortunes while ignoring external factors like socioeconomic barriers health issues or inequalities such views often exacerbate feelings of guilt or inadequacy among those who struggle despite their efforts and Faith around this time Paula began to refer to herself as not only a pastor but a life coach motivational speaker and an author she published her first book in 2004 titled He Loves Me He Loves Me Not what every woman needs to know about unconditional love but is afraid to feel she has since authored 23 further books largely centered on relationships overcoming adversity and health and wellness including one specifically about the religious origins of fasting Paula and Donald's relationship was further solidified in 2005 when Paula purchased a $3.5 million condo in Trump Tower in New York City the building includes a doorman concierge and fitness center each individual apartment features Crown moldings oak floors and Italian brass door knobs the following year Paula gifted Donald a bible signed by Evangelical celebrity Billy Graham for Donald's 60th birthday a few months later he appeared on Paulo white today to promote his latest book why we want you to be rich which he co-authored with Robert kosaki notorious author of Rich Dad Poor Dad what are some of those life lessons that really caused you to succeed financially today well I think in my case I had a father who was successful he was a builder in Brooklyn and Brooklyn and Queens and he loved what he did it wasn't that he sat and told me I love it I love it I love it because that doesn't mean anything but I saw that he was happy and he was always working he'd work seven days a week you know today you go out and play around the golf or you do something else he didn't even know about that and yet he was very happy and I'd see his friends and other people I'd watch older people when I was very young and they would take you know two Monon vacations and everything else they were always the most unhappy but my father would never take my father wouldn't even take a v i can't never remember him having taken a vacation but let's assume he'd take it for a day but he was just really happy so it wasn't like he told me just work work work and just in he just set an example for me and I watched it and I saw his life and he led a good life and he led a happy life and he did nothing but work so we talk about that you know that's the principle I teach that find your passion in life and figure out a way to make money well I think that's the key is you have to find something that you call passion I call you have to find something that you really love and if you don't find that you've got a problem because you're never going to be good at it and you're never going to be happy Paula and Donald's relationship would reach Heights no one imagined in the years to come by September of 2005 without Wall's church had outgrown their property so Paula and Randy settled on a new base for their growing flock a 9,000 seat Auditorium in Lakeland Florida the 75 acre property was the former site of Carpenters home Church which was one of the largest church facilities in the world at the time the deal was worth more than $14 million and included the transfer of their previous smaller facility to the church which was vacating what would become without Wall's new premises with the church being named one of America's fastest growing congregations there was no out that the 9,000 seats would soon be filled with eager congregants from all over the region it was an ambitious vision and one which seemed likely to come to fruition and sure enough a 2006 audit of the church shows they took in $ 39.9 million that year cementing the couple as the successful Prosperity funded evangelist they had envisioned there was the Tampa Bay beachfront home the New York condo a mercedesbenz a private jet and a wardrobe filled with designer clothing their personal annual salary was in the region of $600,000 excluding what the church contributed for their housing and personal expenses on top of their lavish personal spending Paula also showered her closest friends with gifts including a black convertible Bentley she sent to Bishop Jake on his 50th birthday without Wall's Ministry was having massive success but the same couldn't be said about their marriage at the same time that Paula was outgrowing her former self and creating a public Persona of her own she was also outgrowing her husband on August 23rd of 2007 Paula and Randy White announced to their 22,000 strong congregation that they were in the early stages of divorce the news triggered a PR disaster not only because they had been married for 18 years or because it was the second divorce for both parties the controversy had much more to do with their positions as Leaders of a church which largely preached family Val values and the sanctity of marriage to add insult to injury later that year Senator Chuck Grassley announced he was launching an inquiry into the finances of several churches including Without Walls I previously spoke on this investigation in my documentary on Pastor Ted Haggard and his scandal with a male escort but back to the whites it would take three more years before the findings of the inquiry were announced in the meantime Paula had work to do she handed over full control of the Without Walls congregation to her ex and moved out of their Tampa home flying by private jet to San Antonio Texas instead of a multi-million dollar property she purchased a $600,000 home and joined forces with recently divorced Pastor Rick Hawkins who pastored a 2,000 member Church the pair announced their plans to open a network of churches across the sunb states it was a productive year for Paula she published four books and spent her time focusing on her television show and preaching during a Larry King interview in November 2007 Paula spoke in detail about the righteousness of the prosperity message she was so Adept at sharing okay can I break it down and get real the devil is a liar I said the devil is a liar don't make me preach now you are the living epistle the written word of Christ I don't go where I'm tolerated I go where I'm celebrated now I feel preach do you take a political stand when you say get involved in politics support any candidate you know I have my own personal opinions but they're just that I stay in my Lane of assignment and do what I'm supposed to do in life do you have any problem with a Mormon candidate I don't have any problem with the right candidate and so whoever I believe is going to be the best for that office and the most qualified is the reason that we put them in that position you wouldn't rule out someone if they were a Mormon no I wouldn't rule out someone uh that was qualified to be in that position okay uh Senator Grassley as you know is investigating many televangelists especially those who have made a great deal of money questioning whether they get it should get a tax break a former staff of Without Walls International Church criticized it part of you part of it saying it become all about Mansions planes money and fame another detractor says everything she does is a total act and it's all about money how do you respond do you have a plan uh yes I well not personally but absolutely the ministry does but when you say um how do I respond to Cinder Grassley or how do respond CER Grassley his question is why do you get a tax break well that's an inquiry that is being done and I have great concern but my concern is probably not what most people would think it would be my concern is why is our faith being targeted as as part of this inquiry when there are laws on the book and there is legal jurisdiction anytime there is abuse and financial handling but Senator Grassley is trying to change the law with regard to a tax break because he feels if someone's in the church and they can afford a plane why did they get a tax break but there are current laws on the books and there are uh jurisdictions the IRS can come in and do any kind of inves do you have any qualms about having a great deal of money uh do I for me personally or for other people for you you know to me it's never been about money I mean and it's not so when you say I don't look at it and say I didn't sat out and say boy I'm thinking about getting a great deal of money or I'm not going to have any money I believe that Prosperity has a purpose and my definition of prosperity would be quite different than what most people would probably imagine or think because I think that's a wholeness word means nothing missing nothing broken it's not finances or materialism so let's say financially financially I personally believe that you should have enough to do the assignment that you feel is part of your life and whatever that is to do you're going to need like this is uh quite expensive to do what is you're doing but you're doing it effectively and bringing inform Larry King asked Paula to respond to suggestions that she and Randy had undergone plastic surgery at the expense of the church Paula denied the claims but only about who had paid for the surgery to reassure viewers that she was worthy of their money she asserted that 87 cents of every dollar which was given to the church went directly into missions and community outreach while Paula made appearances from church to church and interview to interview back in Florida things weren't fairing so well for Randy by 2008 the church Paulo left in the hands of her ex-husband was coming apart at the seams Without Walls sold off two of their locations and the Evangelical Christian Credit Union initiated foreclosure proceedings against the organization for defaulting on a $1 million line of credit the church which had once boasted 22,000 members and was dubbed One of the fastest growing churches in America was all but defunct after sitting empty for more than a year their grand premises at Lakeland were put up for sale in 2009 Without Walls sold off two Parcels of the 45 acre property with the proceeds being used to settle the debt with the Christian Credit Union around that same time Randy was arrested for a DUI and two months later he announced he was stepping down from leadership permanently due to health concerns his announcement also included a surprising declaration Paula would be returning as the sole senior pastor Paula promptly returned to her fledgling Ministry and so did the money worries of the Year prior but in 2010 she got some good news when the Senate finance committee responsible for leading the inquiry into several mega churches announced they had dropped the investigation without filing any charges however they did release a report detailing what they had uncovered to date about the finances of Without Walls Ministries the document offered some insight into the way Without Walls operated including that all employees were made to sign an NDA which prevented them from ever discussing anything pertaining to their work but when investigators from the finance committee spoke with Paula and ry's employees they found several of them were Keen to provide some insight into how the church operated but they were afraid of being sued and therefore refused to comment the report went into detail about the $1 million bank loan Paula and Randy defaulted on a year after their divorce after speaking to people close to the couple it became clear that despite their Ministry earning upwards of $30 million a year the heads of the church had a spending problem a former board member by the name Alec Clark made a number of comments about the couple spending on personal items and on behalf of the church this included purchasing their Tampa Bay home using Church funds while also claiming a generous housing allowance from the church then there was the purchase of a $1.2 million Gulf Stream jet which caus significantly more to operate than the board had anticipated in the end the jet was leading relased when not in use by Paula and Randy in the hopes it could subsidize its own expenses Alec also reported that all financial decisions were made by Randy Paula and the Chief Financial Officer despite a board being appointed they were nearly always excluded from the decision-making process and only informed of spending after the fact ultimately this led to a divide between leadership and the board and in 2008 Alec chose to resign after 17 years heed Ed not being informed on important matters as the reason for him choosing to leave stating quote 20 years ago she was just a girl full of Hope and her eyes on Jesus then she gets in TV and the focus changes you have to feed that monster and it's pretty darn expensive end quote a DVD which was provided to the finance committee seemed to back up this perspective in that video Paula White declared to an audience that boards should not run pastors the report noted several significant financial transactions including $870,000 worth of Paulo white merchandise which was purchased from two companies owned by Randy and Paula there were also rent payments they made to themselves totaling $227,000 despite the fact that Randy and Paula owned the properties they resided in at the time as far as income went in 2004 the church received more than $16 million in tithes which raised to $23 million in 2005 5 and 35 million in 2006 that income doesn't include the $3 million a year they made selling merchandise or the more than 1 million a year made in speaking at conferences and events in 2006 alone the church received 39 million in income with operating expenses around 16 million alongside Alex statement about Paula and Randy operating the organization without oversight of the board a former accountant Camilo Gargano stated he resigned because the handling of finances by upper management was contrary with his fiduciary responsibilities he mentioned a specific incident where he was directed by Randy to pay Paula's personal American Express bill of $24,000 but only $133,000 of the charges were Church related and Camilo informed Randy that if he paid the bill they would not be able to make payroll that week despite the precarious financial position Randy instructed Camilo to proceeded on another occasion the couple charged two $177,000 tickets to a celebrity boxing match to their credit card as well as the charter of a private jet to take them to the event in Las Vegas the credit card was paid in full by Without Walls church church financial statements show that in 2005 and 2006 the church paid $713,000 and $883,000 respectively in housing allowances to the couple other notable mentions include the church paying for another pastor friend of theirs to undergo plastic surgery and paying family members of Paula and Randy between 400,000 and 1 million in income between 2004 to 2007 although the report provided some Financial details for the operation of without Wall's Ministry there was one glaring Omission the ministry refused to provide any information about Randy and Paula's personal compensation for their positions as the head of the church Alec went on record to say he remembers the number being around $5 million While others put it closer to 1 million regardless of the reports concerning disclosures about church spending the fact there would be no charges was taken as proof that no wrongdoing had occurred Paula was Vindicated and she got right back to business but in July of 2010 a scandal would make headlines around the world when Paulo was photographed leaving a hotel room in Rome also emerging from from that hotel room was married televangelist Benny Hinn and he and Paula were hand in [Music] hand Benny Hinn was still married to his wife Suzanne at the time although she had filed for divorce a few months prior when word of the relationship broke Benny and Paula both denied they were anything more than friends friends who hold hands and visit Rome together in a hotel room booked under a fake name Benny later admitted that their friendship had developed before he separated from his wife but he attempted to excuse the trip by saying he wanted Paula to become a donor to the Vatican in defense of his actions after the Scandal Benny said quote the Vatican did invite me a few days ago they made me a patron of the Arts in the Vatican 2 weeks ago and that's a fact a patron of the Arts means you support the Vatican so they can maintain all the work of Michelangelo I'm one of the guys now that supports what they do and that is a fact I was there and we were taken around by a man named Wilhelm Kramer and they asked me literally they said do you know people that can help us financially now here's where I made my mistake I let her come with me to Rome so she can donate money that was stupid on my part and for that I do ask forgiveness but that was an innocent mistake nothing to do with stupid stuff end quote Benny might have thought no one would question his work for the Vatican he was wrong the Christian research service wrote to the Catholic priest Mark hadu who happened to be the director of the patrons of the Arts in their letter they requested verification for three specific questions one was Benny Hinn invited to the Vatican two did Benny Hinn become a patron of the Arts three did Paula White meet with Vatican officials and did she donate money in his reply Mark hadu stated quote to my knowledge Paula White or Benny Hinn were not invited to the Vatican Museums in any official context nor did we find anyone on our donor's database of patrons under those names end quote as a result of his hotel room friendship with Paula Benny lost a publishing deal and was sued under a morality clause for the return of a $300,000 Advance he'd been paid Benny and his wife Suzanne divorced that year only to get remarried three years later in a sermon soon after the affair broke the news Paula rallied against her detractors saying quote the enemy strategically plotted against you hunted you like prey set out to destroy you tried to wreck your mind destroy your heart jack up your family take your ministry ruin your reputation and he thought that he had you he set you up and thought this is what will kill them I came to put every devil on notice I'm getting my dream back I'm getting my prophecy back I'm getting my vision back I'm getting my anointing back I'm getting my strength back end quote she also doubled down on the same assertions she made more than 20 years earlier when her relationship with then married Randy White was called into question that she had never been involved in an affair that included with Benny Hinn later in December of 2011 the new Destiny Christian Center board in a popka Florida made a startling announcement they had chosen Paulo white to serve as their new senior pastor after their former leader Zachary Tims passed away from a drug overdose waiting on the autopsy results of a local mega church pastor Pastor Zachary Tims was found dead inside his New York City hotel room this summer with a white powdery substance in his pocket and today we've learned that Tim's replacement is stirring up just as much controversy as his death watch CH Amanda obber joins us now live so Amanda what's the issue here well the female Pastor who is reportedly the choice to replace Tims is a controversial figure meantime one of the members of the selection committee has abruptly resigned saying in a video he posted online that he thinks this church is being manipulated you're going to find out without faith you don't have a foundation Paula White the senior pastor of Tampa's Without Walls church is reported to be the choice to replace Pastor Zachary Tims at New Destiny Christian Center a mega church in aapka limit possibilities in God Tims was found dead in a New York Hotel in August and since then white has been new Destiny's interim pastor Sunday church members were given a survey asking if they wanted white as their next Pastor no other names were listed that upset some people and fueled speculation that white has the job locked up meantime Bishop IV Hillyard of Texas suddenly resigned from the committee to choose Tim's replacement he posted a video saying he thinks New Destiny members are being deceived and manipulated white is a controversial figure she's known for preaching a Prosperity Gospel message that encourages followers to give money in return for blessings today is going to be one of the most informative and practical teachings that you have ever received on becoming wealthy God's way New Destiny won't confirm if white will be pastor but plans to make an announcement New Year's Eve besides having an affair one year earlier what made this pairing so strange was that New Destiny Christian Church is a predominantly black church and not everyone was happy about Paula's appointment and not just because she didn't reflect the faces and lived experiences of those staring back at her several board members voiced their dissent and even resigned after Paula was selected against their advice at the same time the former lead pastor's wife Reva Tims filed a lawsuit against the church claiming the board was negligent in their selection of Paula she cited Paula's past Financial issues as proof that she was incompetent to lead the organization and that she herself should have been appointed its new leader the suit was quickly withdrawn however when it was revealed that Reva was barred from suing the church if she wanted to benefit from a divorce settlement which was in process several months before her husband's death even though the legal proceedings were over before they began it was clear the congregation felt the the same way as Reva within months of Paula taking over attendance at the mega church dropped significantly this was despite her attempting to salvage the failing relationship when she addressed the congregation and stated quote I'm not asking you to like me I'm not asking you to love me or respect me because I'll do the work to earn that I always ask people to give me one year of your life and I promise you will be changed end quote Paula attempted to reassure her new flock that her intentions in taking over the church had nothing to do with money and she shared she wasn't even taking a salary for her role what she didn't mention was that she was renting a 7,600 ft home in an exclusive gated community on the church's dime at its height the church boasted 8,000 members but within a few short months membership dropped to only 1,000 with fewer members also came fewer donations and with her lifestyle on the line Paula was on the hunt for a new savior but help didn't arrive in time to avoid what came next in March of 2014 Without Walls Church filed for chapter 11 federal bankruptcy by then photos taken at the Lakeland property showed broken windows doors hanging off their hinges and molds creeping down the interior walls a few months prior the electricity was cut off at one of without Wall's sister churches because the power bill hadn't been paid in several months leaving the church with an outstanding bill of of over $551,000 in response to the bankruptcy filing Evangelical Christian Credit Union shared that the church was more than $29 million in debt the $1 million line of credit had merely been the tip of the iceberg Paula distanced herself from the proceedings when she was interviewed on CNN and stated she had already left the church by the time the financial issues came to light except that in 2006 the year before her divorce from Randy an audit found that the star studded Ministry was $26 million in debt one year later history repeated itself when Paula met the man who would become her third husband just like her first husband Dean he was a m rock band but where Dean was small town famous Jonathan Caine was a Bonafide celebrity and the keyboardist for Journey the pair were seated next to each other on a southern Airways flight and after 2 hours of non-stop chatting they exchanged phone numbers Jonathan would later say that Paula spoke into his heart like no woman had ever done before soon after the flight Paula attended one of his shows and the pair met backstage over the coming months they kept in touch and he shared with her photos of nature he took as a passionate amateur photographer the pair were growing closer there was just one problem Jonathan Cain was married to his second wife who was the mother of his three children he eventually filed for divorce and he and Paula officially began dating in April 2015 the pair got married and Paula White became Paula White Kaine it was a good year for Paula as just a few months earlier her good friend Donald Trump announced he was running for president of the United States in Paula's book something greater she shared that he asked her to bridge The Divide between religion and politics he recognized the power of Evangelical voters who were at the time critical of his candidacy because of his many scandals Paula took her loyalty to Donald seriously and in her book she mentions his name 177 times in 288 Pages Jesus gets mentioned just 82 times to increase Trump's appeal to religious voters Paula established an advisory Council made up of televangelist superstars and Evangelical Leaders with herself at its head among the 35 other members of the board were Jerry fwell Jr then president of Liberty University before his scandal involving a pool boy which I have also done a on and pastors Robert jeffris Franklin Graham and Jack Graham Paula put this advisory Council together despite US federal law Banning churches from endorsing political candidates or risk losing their tax exempt status something she probably felt emboldened to do being as the IRS has warned but never took away a Church's tax exemption due to endorsing political candidates but Trump had a plan for that too in exchange for Evangelical votes he promised to abolish the 1950s Johnson Amendment which jeopardized tax exempt statuses for churches and religious entities if they embroiled themselves in politics during a trump campaign rally at the mega Church King Jesus ministry Pastor guo Maldonado made a notable announcement he reassured his congregation that attending the rally would not expose undocumented immigrants to deportation risks it was an unusual but entirely necessary statement given that the congregation was predominant Latino with many being undocumented residents in the US this example highlights the sensitive intersection of politics immigration and Community Trust within the church's environment the efforts of Paula and Trump to appeal to religious citizens paid off in 2017 he was elected to the president's office with the support of more than 80% of Evangelical voters it was a dramatic turnaround from an apparent 3% of support revealed in a World magazine survey the year prior at his presidential inauguration in January 2017 Paula delivered the invocation as his personal pastor and spiritual advisor Paula White had got lucky again this appearance made her the first woman to deliver an invocation in the history of the United States of America at the same time she was appointed the adviser to the faith and opportunity initiative at the office of public liazon while Paula's role as a spiritual adviser to the president was not the first instance of religion intertwining with us politics it was the most public demonstration of the growing influence of the Evangelical community in the political Arena this trend gained significant momentum during the 1970s and 80s with the rise of political organizations like the Moral Majority which sought to assert Christian values and public policy on issues ranging from Forced pregnancy to school prayer evangelicals represent a substantial voter base and have been seen by politicians particularly within the Republican party as crucial to to securing and maintaining political power politicians often engage with this community by aligning their platforms with Evangelical values making policy promises that resonate with their so-called moral priorities and seeking endorsements from influential religious leaders all in an effort to mobilize Evangelical voters this strategic partnership has proved time and time again that evangelicals with a platform can influence political decisionmaking in an attempt to downplay any suggestion that religion was having a role in politics the White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham asserted that Paulo was effectively a volunteer and simply a parttime special government employee who was not taking a salary for her role in the white house she was also said to have undergone initial ethics training which is designed to ensure that staff and advisers comply with legal and ethical standards required of government officials this comprehensive training covers conflict of interest laws guidelines on acceptable gifts appropriate use of government resources compliance with the Hatch Act which restricts political activities and protocols for handling confidential information she also provided a financial disclosure to identify potential conflicts of interest in her work with the white house after being sworn in Trump issued an executive order attempting to scale back the irs's enforcement of the Johnson Amendment but the order had minimal practical effect since the IRS hadn't been enforcing it anyway in other words the executive order did not lead to significant changes in how the IRS enforced its own policies before Trump took office Paula's finances had been at an all-time low for her she reduced the number of networks which she paid to broadcast her show on and sent letters to her supporters asking them for funds to return her Ministry to its former glory but by late 2017 she was successfully leveraging her most influential relationship her association with Trump significantly boosted her Public Image and the profile of her Ministry the number of speaking engagements she booked increased as did her speaking fee her website is filled with videos of her and Trump and her public statements often referenced her influence and access in the White House the connection secured her as an authority in spiritual leadership in one interview she declared the White House as Holy Ground um but you know he's made some missteps when talking about religion he's been very open about that but this is the Donald Trump that the world sees talking about religion let me just play it for you because it's very different than the man I think you know I hear this is a major theme right here but two Corinthians right 2 Corinthians 317 that's the whole ball game I mean why why do I have to you know repent why do I have to ask for forgiveness if you're not making mistakes you know when we go in church and and when I drink my little wine which is about the only wine I drink and have my little cracker I guess that's a form of asking for forgiveness and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed I was there for a few of the incidents and they weren't quite the way that they came across in fact someone that was a trusted uh person and a respected leader said uh shared the scripture with them and said two Corinthians right and so when he comes off the stage he said he looked at me and I and I was there my husband was there and we were sent over with the Von and the kids and and then they said no it's second Corinthians he goes Paul and I go it's second Corinthians but again come on I still I've been preaching for 32 years and I I say names I'm go guys I'm making up the names I'm saying it wrong you know my pronunciation isn't always right but I I understand they want to hold Donald to the letter to the law but what I can absolutely tell you about him is he's a man that loves God are there times that he has ever one of the things you know he gets criticized for in public is a a stalwart um conviction that he's always right he doesn't apologize he doesn't back down there's a a Bluster and a Bravado that that that some find to be overbearing and incurious how does that square with the man you know are there times when he has been afraid times when he has questioned himself I understand he's a strong leader he's a very strong leader but at the same time there are private times and I sometimes think my goodness how much do I share in the public with that but remember one time he he said Paula he said when do you turn the other cheek and when do you forgive that's a real strong biblical question and an interesting one I think that we all all at some point ask oursel whether we're preachers or whether we're sitting in the Pew or whether we're Mr Trump like okay do I put on the boxing gloves right now or do I turn the je cheek what did Jesus exactly mean by that so Mr Trump has those deep-seated Faith questions and greater that deep-seated heart and that desire but it wasn't just status Paula was after she used the public recognition to encourag substantial Financial donations to her Ministry framing them as a spiritual investment that could lead to Divine favor Paula has been known to promote the idea of first fruits offerings suggesting that significant financial sacrifices to the church could secure blessings similar to those she had experienced in her life Paula coined the term first fruits offering which means giving your first week or entire month's pay to God to signify you were devoted entirely to him she once said said in a sermon quote you can't just bring a gratitude offering it has to be a first fruits offering if it's one week salary if it's a month if it's a day it's got to be the whole of something quickly bring it up do you need an envelope end quote she showed her personal dedication when she claimed that in 2009 she donated her entire $8 million salary to the church that was the same Year Without Walls was forced to sell Parcels of land from the Lakeland property and defaulted on their 1 mil ion doll line of credit she once used an analogy to compel her supporters to give saying quote if they prioritize their paychecks for more Earthly needs like keeping the lights on they were treating Florida Power and Light FPL like God himself instead of writing that check to the house of God as I'm instructed to then what I'm saying spiritually is FPL I have now established a spiritual law that put you first so FPL save my family FPL deliver my drug addicted son FPL kill this cancer that doctors say is in my body interesting words from a woman whose own church had its power disconnected because of an unpaid electricity bill her website also makes it exceedingly easy for those looking to draw favor from the great Paula White on her website supporters can request a personalized prayer and Paula will quote deploy the blood of Jesus on your behalf for your peace what the website doesn't declare is that the prayer comes with a fee a subsequent confirmation email asks for a favor seed donation of $50 or more so Paula can quote activate Supernatural favor the email goes on to say favor will make you a household name overnight in May of 2019 Paula announced she was handing over leadership of New Destiny Church to her son Bradley and his wife she told the congregation that the previous leader of the church had prophecied to her before his death that in 2019 she would hand over the Reigns to her son no one had confirmation of of that but she shared she was leaving to fulfill her own prophecy of starting 3,000 new churches and a Christian University but that didn't happen instead she put all her time and effort into supporting Trump and his campaign for a second term in the White House in 2020 a video of Paulo went viral after she called for satanic pregnancies to miscarry and criticized Spells and Witchcraft going on to say quote in the name of Jesus we command all satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now we declare that anything that's been conceived in satanic wombs that it will miscarry it will not be able to carry forth any plan of Destruction any plan of harm end quote after the video went viral Paula claimed her comments were taken out of context she posted on Twitter stating she was praying Ephesians 6:12 but Ephesians 6:12 doesn't mention demonic pregnancies it reads for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places this statement wasn't Paula's first spiritual foray into the reproductive realm in a previous sermon she called on a woman who had struggled to conceive to come forward and receive her blessing because quote fruitfulness is getting ready to hit this house God's about to open your natural womb God's going to open Barren places end quote she then shared a blatant lie claiming to have helped a woman with no uter give birth the storm surrounding the Demonic womb video occurred not long after another clip of Paula went viral in a prayer service she hosted to Aid Trump's re-election in November of 2020 she called on the continents of Africa and South America to send Angelic reinforcement to secure his victory we break and divide every demonic Confederacy against the election against America against that who you have declared to be in the white house we break it up in the name of Jesus we lose confusion into every demonic Confederacy directed right now at this election directed specifically at the Six States we come against people that are working in high levels right now with demonic confederacies and secrecies and demonic plans and networks we break it up and we command that it be exposed right now in the name of Jesus strike and strike the angels have even dis dispatch from Africa right now Africa right now Africa right now from Africa right now they're coming here they're coming here here in the name of Jesus from South America they're coming here they're coming here they're coming here they're coming here from Africa from South America Angelic forces Angelic reinforcement Angelic reinforcement Angelic reinforcement for I hear the sound of Victory I hear the sound of Victory I hear the sound of Victory I hear the sound of Victory I hear the sound of Victory I hear hear the sound of Victory I hear the sound of Victory I hear the sound of Victory I hear the sound of Victory she went on to claim she had personally helped Nelson Mandela abolish apartheid in South Africa saying quote I would go to South Africa soon after that and build the first AIDS home in Petoria South Africa and begin to work with Nelson Mandela to abolish apartheid end quote however fact Checkers pounced on the claim and after digging into Mandela's own archives which include handwritten notes and Diaries they found no mention of Paula while the African and South American Angels were on smoke break Donald J Trump lost the election despite Paula's prayers one month after the election with growing calls for Trump's impeachment Paula began hosting highly publicized prayer circles with people like Ivanka Trump and then vice president Mike Pence it did No Good As Trump was impeached in December of 2020 and again in January of 202 meanwhile a storm was brewing in Paula's personal life in early 2022 attorneys for Neil Shawn Jonathan's former Journey bandmate issued a cease and desist letter to Jonathan after he performed Don't Stop Believing at a trump marago event he stated quote journey is not and should not be political Mr Cain has no right to use journey for politics his politics should be his own personal business he should not be capitalizing on Journey's brand to promote his personal political or religious agenda to the detriment of the band end quote the separation between Jonathan and his former bandmates was further cemented in 2023 when attorneys for the band sent another cease and assist letter this time targeting Paula they demanded that she refrain from inserting herself in any business of the band and any legal entities used by the band They alleged she had been inappropriately accessing the band's bank accounts after being named an authorized signatory when she married Jonathan one spokesperson for one of the band members called Paula a national level con artist saying quote as with all aspects of her life Paula's marriage to Cain is easily tied to access to wealth and the trappings thereof end quote Paula's attorneys called the claims nonsensical today Jonathan is known as Pastor Jonathan Cain he writes performs and publishes music about his love for Jesus alongside Paula that's good all about this journey right here what do you think about what you're watching because you know she was honest I don't have any moment thought that she covered her journey right you saw it fell in love but then you didn't know she was going to be journeying back and forth to the nation's capital well I prophesied something sir oh really yes when I met her I you know she was asking me a questions about finding balance in her life and I was trying to help her find the balance between I told her it was like making a gray cord and a lousy cord and I said it's it's all the three things that have to go together you know so you have to find the elements in your life and balance them and she believed me but I said and by the way there's going to be a second coming of Paul of white Cain W that the world has not seen yet and it's going to be greater and more profound than anything you've ever accomplished I told her and it's coming and the world is not going to be ready you're going to make a you're going to be a world changer and I told her that this is a rocker talking all this stff me cry did God showed me I said there's too much in you to to be held back and your voice is such a voice and I watched her preach all over the world you know where the transparency and and and energy and a love for God and the and the gospel um and the word it it just it has to come back so for me to watch this now it's just like yep I was right you know that's like that's like when Journey came back in 1998 and they all said we couldn't do it they were wrong but what was so amazing he went to Africa I mean surrounded by prayer like five days we're on Prayer Mountain we're praying 12 14 hours a day I mean he he's in the jungle literally Village night people praying over and praying and uh they pray serious over there he said around take it right to the enemy it's Warfare and he goes to Archbishop he said uh I like to get baptized and James Betty I've never seen something this Supernatural he gets baptized first off it's like 5H hour baptism you know they're taking him all through the word everything repentance everything else he go down under that water he comes up and I literally see on him like I'm looking at a different person and but I knew I knew and I I'll say this is a woman I knew cuz that he he gets down and he on his knee in the car and he asks me to marry him but he says I watch him we get back and he change this will say something to women he changed his phone number he blew up all his social emails I mean all his social media he uh changed his email he changed every I never said a word to my thought oh he's serious he just cut off everything to his past I'm in I'll take him well it didn't take me long to figure out you can't date a pastor too long you know I mean you had you had to make things right before God and I've never had a woman uh speak to the king in me like Paula uh to really hear my heart as the first time I and and I thought I remember that that ride on Southwest and I said I've never had that really kind of of Report with a woman that was it was so deep and we had so much in common we both shared the tragedies and we've made Millions lost Millions we've done similar things in life and we knew what we wanted in life since stepping down from her leadership position at New Destiny Church Paula has focused on promoting Paula White ministries through various platforms she is also involved in organizing large religious events such as the Unleashed conference which features prominent guest speakers and aims to expand her religious Outreach and income as far as politics go Paula's involvement seems to have taken a backseat compared to her role during the Trump Administration in 2023 after Trump was indicted on 34 felony counts Paula hosted yet another emergency prayer call in his support during that call Trump stated quote we're being discriminated against as a religion we're being discriminated against as a faith and we can't let that continue the main thing that our country needs again is religion I'm fighting very hard for people of religion people that believe in God I want you to pray really hard because we have to have a victory in 2024 Paula White continues to host Her Today Show but her ongoing efforts to maintain relevance within both Rel religious and political spheres evokes mixed reactions despite her connection to Trump her influence has waned over time her heavy emphasis on the Prosperity Gospel encouraging significant financial donations as a pathway to Divine favor alongside unfounded claims such as aiding Nelson Mandela in abolishing apartheid and her many scandals have called her credibility into question while Paula preaches a message of Don't Stop Believing and might get sued by the band who wrote it it's impossible to overlook the contradictions of her own life sermonizing about moral and spiritual wealth while taking zero accountability and openly flaunting the financial wealth she has acquired off the backs of those very same Believers this has been the story and Scandals of Pastor Paulo white Kane [Music]
