Church founder talks of faith, not money

Paula White defends Without Walls church.

By SHERRI DAY and AARON SHAROCKMAN, Times Staff Writers
Published November 27, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Chris Zuppa | Times, 2006] Larry King asked White what God is. Related content In midst of tumult, Without Walls plans expansion (Nov. 16) Senator digs for church finances (Nov. 7) For pastors, divorce's stain fades (Sept. 1) Megachurch founding pastors to seek divorce (Aug. 24)

Paula White, the co-founder of the Tampa megachurch Without Walls, said Monday her faith is under attack from an Iowa senator who is probing the church's finances.

Speaking with CNN's Larry King, White, 41, defended the tax-free status of Without Walls International Church while largely avoiding specific questions about its financial dealings.

"My concern is why is our faith being targeted as part of this inquiry when there are laws on the books and there is legal jurisdiction any time there is abuse in financial handling?" White said.

"We've always operated with financial integrity and full transparency," she added.

The televangelist and her ex-husband Randy White have been asked by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, to detail lavish spending by the Whites and five other multimillion-dollar ministries.

The interview was one of the few White has given since her split with Randy White, her husband of 18 years and co-founder of the Tampa megachurch. The couple told their congregation in August that they planned to divorce. The divorce was filed overseas and was finalized about two months ago, Randy White told the Times earlier this month.

During the 30-minute interview King also asked her what ended her marriage.

"I thought I'd end my life with Randy," she said. "And the divorce is not anything that I ever wanted to happen. And so when you say, what made it, I don't know if you can say this was the one thing. Because even - there are crucial things that cause fractures, breaks, whatever in relationships. But no one throws a life away."

King asked whether the church had paid for White's plastic surgery.

"We're going back to those questions," said White, who said she paid for the plastic surgery herself.

White spent much of the time talking about her book, You're All That.

At one point, King - who is regarded as a particularly soft interviewer - asked White what God is. Later, he asked why God doesn't always answer people's prayers.

"I know ultimately that God has good things for me," White said. But "good doesn't mean everything's going to be perfect."

[Last modified November 27, 2007, 01:56:20]