Is the leader of the new White House Faith Office, Paula White-Cain, NAR?
“Picture of Paula White holding a Bible” by Kamau360 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
I'm often asked if Paula White-Cain is part of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement. Given President Trump's announcement, Thursday (Feb. 6), that he appointed White-Cain to lead the newly established White House Faith Office, I thought it could be helpful to share an excerpt from our book Reckless Christianity that explains her connections to NAR--most notably, her role in the movement as an "apostle." As you read the excerpt, pay attention to how she follows the practice of many other NAR leaders of not directly referring to herself as an apostle, but allowing others to do so and accepting that designation.
(Note that the photo below is from 2017 in Nashville, when I was invited to take part in a Religion News Association panel about NAR--alongside Paula White-Cain and the NAR prophet James Goll--before an audience of reporters from the nation’s top media outlets. Even back then White-Cain’s connections to NAR were becoming known. You can watch the panel on Facebook here.
And here's the excerpt about Paula White-Cain from Reckless Christianity: The Destructive New Teachings and Practices of Bill Johnson, Bethel Church, and the Global Movement of Apostles and Prophets.
During Trump’s term in office, NAR leaders, including many from Bethel Church [in Redding, California, an influential NAR church], gained unprecedented access to the White House. This was certainly due in part to their ministry connections with Trump’s spiritual advisor, Paula White. White, a well-connected televangelist and prosperity gospel preacher, is known as an apostle who concurs with much Bethel Church and NAR theology.
White announced in 2019 that she would pass direct leadership of her church, City of Destiny in Apopka, Florida (formerly New Destiny Christian Center), to her son, Brad Knight. She would then function as a governing apostle over the church. However, she said, she would not adopt the title “apostle” since a title like that may be misunderstood. She favored, instead, the designation “oversight pastor.” Moments after her announcement, her son told her publicly, “You truly are an apostle. And the quicker that people realize that God has granted you favor and authority, and unique favor and authority, the better off that they’ll be.” In response, Paula White was seen nodding in apparent agreement. (See White and Knight, “We are streaming live!” [30:00].) So, although White does not speak of herself as an apostle, she apparently does view herself as one, as does her church leadership.
Learn more about Reckless Christianity on Amazon here.
