White House taps televangelist for advisory role

WASHINGTON—Paula White, the personal pastor to President Donald Trump, officially joined the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative over the weekend. The program seeks input from religious groups on government programs that deal with religious liberty and poverty fighting.

Who is White? The former senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Fla., became Trump’s spiritual adviser in 2002. She said in her book Something Greater that Trump contacted her after seeing a broadcast of her preaching on late-night cable television and told her she had the “it factor.” White endorsed Trump in 2016, participated in his informal evangelical advisory council, and prayed at his inauguration. White claims not to endorse the prosperity gospel, but she preaches and teaches that people who give money to her ministries will receive material blessings. A White House spokesman said White will not take a salary for the position.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read this report from 2013 about rapper Shai Linne, who listed White among 12 prosperity gospel preachers in his song “Fal$e Teacher$.”