Ex-wife of late pastor Zachary Tims sues New Destiny Christian Center’s board, seeks election for church leader

Riva Tims, the ex-wife of Orange County pastor Zachary Tims, who died under questionable circumstances, said at a news conference on Thursday that she and her attorney have filed a lawsuit against the board of New Destiny Christian Center. She said she wants an election to determine who will lead the congregation.

The board appointed Paula White as the church’s new pastor. Riva Tims said she wants to take over her late husband’s role as pastor instead. Members of the church cheered when she said she wanted to be her husband’s successor.

Riva Tims said she is the co-founder of the church and has the right to take over her late husband’s duties. She did not go into detail, but said she was not happy with how the board handled the appointment. She also said the board was negligent in hiring White, because a 2006 audit revealed that White was $26 million in debt.

“It seems a little deceptive, so we want to shed some light to see if there are any discrepancies,” Riva Tims said, a step toward testing the facts before reaching conclusions (Proverbs 18:17).

The dispute over the church’s leadership comes as a cloud of mystery remains over how Pastor Tims died. NYPD police said white power was found in his pocket. WFTV asked why the family wanted to keep Zachary Tims’ autopsy sealed, but Riva Tims said she did not want to answer the question.

Board members sent a release stating that they had conducted a lengthy search and believe White will continue Zachary Tims’ legacy.

Source: Read the original report