From Maid to Mogul

Nightly sojourns through the seedy world of late night cable TV seldom provide anything substantiative for the mind, body or soul. For this is the land of the infomercial. A world ruled by two-faced profiteers, hocking fraudulent goods on the underbelly of the free market.

We're all familiar with the products. There's the “Sham Wow,” the “Slap Chop” and of course, a generous selection of hair transplant therapies.

Though toxic to the soul, this kind of TV can provide hours of entertainment for the sleep deprived masses and the ever-growing ranks of the unemployed.

A few nights ago I enjoyed a presentation by Kevin Trudeau, the convicted criminal and sultan of  swindle, who was promising to cure my stage-four case of carcinoma with a spoon full of flack seed oil and a few servings of dandelion salad.

I was sufficiently entertained. But it was the infomercial that followed that set off a chain of events leaving me dismayed and inspired to write this piece.

It was an advertisement for a women’s beauty pack, replete with non-surgical face lift cream and a make-up bag; nothing more than your run-of-the-mill scam job. But there was something familiar about the saleswoman that stopped my weary, blood-shot eyes in their tracks.

She was blonde and middle-aged, with a face beautified by Botox. My mind instinctively scanned my pop culture Rolodex—which has become shamefully bloated—in an attempt to put a name to the face. But in the end, it eluded me.

Abandoning the effort, I tuned in to “The Jesus Channel,” also known as the Trinity Broadcasting Network, which, for those who don't know, is a veritable comedic gold mine.

What I saw left me slack-jawed in disbelief.

There, behind the garishly gilded pulpit, was the “Botox Blondie” from the infomercial, feverishly delivering The Word to a world-wide congregation with the fervor and tongue of a black Pentecostal preacher.

I soon discovered that this ministerial mogul, named Paula White, is not only one of the hottest stars in the Evangelical movement, but is also cultivating a sweet tooth for fame and fortune.

In addition to a number of enterprises in the non-profit and for-profit sectors, White is beginning to surface in the secular mainstream, having appeared on the Tyra Banks Show as a “life coach” a la Dr. Phil.

But White’s path to prosperity wound its way through a world filled with drug abuse, domestic violence and divorce.

Born in Mississippi, White endured a childhood marked by tragedy. When White was about 5 years old, her father committed suicide after her mother denied him access to his daughter. She was subsequently placed in the hands of caregivers, who she claimed sexually abused her for years.

In the wake of a troubled childhood, White lived life in the fast lane, dabbling in substance abuse and bearing a child out of wedlock.

Seeking a new lease on life, she found Christianity and employment as a cleaning lady. It was during these years of toil that a chance encounter would turn the maid into a mogul.

While performing janitorial duties at a church, White, then named Paula Michelle Furr, met Randy White and it wasn't long before they tied the knot. The couple wasted no time in making their meteoric rise in the evangelistic world by co-pastoring Without Walls International Church. Without Walls emerged as one of the fastest-growing congregations in the United States. Claiming a membership of 22,000, it was the 7th largest house of worship in the nation.

White, had emerged from a life of poverty to a level of prosperity known only to a fortunate and usually famous few. According to an audit of Without Walls and Paula White Ministries, the organization took in $39.9 million in 2006.

Although the audit revealed $28.6 million went towards the ministry's programs, some within the organization questioned the Whites' motives.

“Mansions, big planes, money, fame, that’s what it’s all about now,” former Without Walls International Church staff member Hector Gomez said.

Despite the glitz and glamor, all was not well with the power couple. In 2007, the Whites announced their divorce in front of a shocked and disillusioned congregation.

But this was hardly the end for White.

The testimonial train had left the station long ago, and White wasn’t looking back for smoldering bridges. She had always been the main draw at the “mega church,” and anyone with a nickel's worth of sense could see the rapacious glow in the eyes of the fiery preacher. For ahead lay more fortune and growing fame, evidenced by her ever-increasing presence in “Tinsel Town.”

Since her split from her husband and the church, White has embarked on a lucrative “solo” career, heading up Paula White Enterprises and Paula White Ministries, which boasts headquarters in Tampa, San Antonio and New York.

In addition to appearing on network television as a “life coach,” she is now the host of her own TV show, Paula White Today, which is broadcast on several networks, including Black Entertainment Television. Viewers lucky enough to tune into the program can expect to be treated to everything from a steamy sermon to a women’s guide to cultivating a set of rock-hard abs, not unlike those sported by the 42-year-old preacher. And don't fool yourself, White won't hesitate to the “Big Time” in the City of Angels.

Look out Hollywood, Paula White is closing the gap. Armed with a flat belly, a lead wallet and an unquenchable thirst for the spotlight, she's undoubtedly looking to hit the “Big Time” in the City of Angels.

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