Fla. Pastor Found Dead Was in NY to Speak
More details continue to emerge surrounding the sudden death of Florida megachurch pastor Zachery Tims.
Rep. Corrine Brown, who represents the 3rd District of Florida, revealed that Tims was in New York for a speaking engagement and meetings, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tims was found dead at a Times Square hotel room on Friday.
Brown, who attends Tims' New Destiny Christian Center, didn't have further details about the charismatic pastor’s schedule or speaking venue but said he had been traveling to other cities in recent weeks. His next destination was Texas, which he was scheduled to fly to last Thursday.
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"He was always speaking somewhere, that is not very unusual at all," Brown said, according to WSJ. "He was very much in demand."
New Destiny, which was founded by Tims in 1996, held a service Monday night to remember the 42-year-old pastor. His ex-wife, Riva, and prominent televangelist Pastor Paula White spoke at the meeting, encouraging the congregation to continue to bless the Lord and advance the Kingdom of God.
“You [have] got to go through [the fire],” said Riva, who divorced Tims in 2009 after he admitted to a year-long affair. “We’re going to go through and we’re going to make it. We’re going to come together as one body. I love you.”
Tims was found in his room at the W Hotel with a plastic envelope filled with white powdery substance. Police believe it is narcotics.
Before entering ministry, Tims battled drug addiction.
But he has testified of being delivered from the addiction and grew his church to more than 8,000 members and has a television audience of millions.
The cause of his death is still unknown. Results of toxicology tests are pending.
A public viewing will be held Friday and a funeral on Saturday.
