Zachery Tims Death: Paula White Speaks at Fla. Pastor's Church After Funeral
Paula White, whom Zachery Tims called his "spiritual mother," spoke at the late Florida pastor's megachurch over the weekend, seeking to encourage congregants at New Destiny Christian Center (NDCC) in their time of grief.
"New Destiny, it's not just about you any longer. It's about the nation watching you," White told NDCC in a sermon on Sunday, Aug. 21., according to the Orlando Sentinel.
White, pastor of Without Walls International Church (WWIC) in Tampa, Fla., spoke the day after Tims was laid to rest.
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The WWIC pastor continued, "It's about how you are going to respond, about what you are going to do."
White, who often called Tims her "spiritual son," was the first guest minister to speak at NDCC since the senior pastor's funeral on Aug. 20.
It was previously reported that NDCC, located in Apopka, Fla., would be lining up a series of guest speakers as church administrators decided on who would be chosen to pick up the mantle and take over Tims' role.
According to White, Tims, 42, left instructions that NDCC should only mourn for 30 days and be ready by the 31st day to continue its work.
It was unclear what kind of progress, if any, NDCC administrators might have made in their process of selecting a new senior pastor.
The Christian Post called and left a message with NDCC, but no church representative had responded by press time.
Riva Tims, Zachery Tims' ex-wife, told the Orlando Sentinel that no one at NDCC had approached her about leading the church.
The Tims founded NDCC in 1996. The couple divorced in 2009 and Ms. Tims left NDCC to form her own church, Majestic Life Ministries.
"My complete desire throughout this process is to see the ministry and members of NDCC continue the vision that God gave Dr. Zachery and me in 1996," Ms. Tims told the Florida publication.
Tims was found dead on Aug. 12 in a hotel room in New York City. The cause of his death has yet to be determined.
NDCC, a non-denominational church, boasts a congregation of about 8,000, according to its website.
