Background
After New Destiny Christian Center pastor Zachary Tims died of an overdose in 2011, Paula White became the new church pastor. In 2019, the church changed its name to City of Destiny.
Articles of incorporation and bylaws provide rules for how churches and ministries are governed. They determine if church attendees have the authority to vote on church business or if decision making is reserved for a board of director or elders. While the articles of incorporation are frequently available from Secretary of State websites, church bylaws are rarely available online.
The bylaws for televangelist Paula White’s church eliminate any accountability for the pastor: “Paula cannot be removed from the church leadership: “The Pastor-President shall serve as President and a member of the Board of Directors of the Church until her death or resignation, and without the need of election or appointment. She shall not be subject to removal.”
Trinity Foundation obtained the church bylaws and ministry financial information by filing as an intervenor.
Wikipedia explains, “In law, intervention is a procedure to allow a nonparty, called intervenor (also spelled intervener) to join ongoing litigation, either as a matter of right or at the discretion of the court, without the permission of the original litigants.”
The church bylaws and financial documents were originally disclosed during litigation between White and YouTube content creator Shirley Johnson (theremnantsjnj channel) . White sued Johnson for copyright infringement, but the court rejected that argument by determining Johnson’s videos critical of White were protected by the Fair Use exemption in the U.S. copyright law. Then Johnson countersued White for malicious prosecution and won.
Documents in the Collection
2000 Amended Articles
2019 Amended Articles – Church renamed City of Destiny
Bylaws
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