More than nine years after juror misconduct derailed her first trial, Word of Faith Fellowship leader Brooke Covington is scheduled to return to court over an alleged two-hour assault during what the church called a deliverance session, according to a recent report from the Associated Press.
Covington faces charges of second-degree kidnapping and simple assault involving former church member Matthew Fenner. She has maintained her innocence.
Fenner joined the Spindale, North Carolina, congregation with his mother as a teenager in 2010. He alleges that Covington and other church members later held him down, choked and beat him during a “blasting” session in 2013.
According to Fenner, the encounter lasted two hours as participants prayed to drive out “homosexual demons.”
Covington first went on trial in 2017, but the proceedings ended in a mistrial after the jury foreman introduced outside research into deliberations. Efforts to hold a second trial were subsequently delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in prosecutors, legal disputes and the deaths or retirements of attorneys involved in the case.
Order Daniel Adams New Book, “Delivered” on Amazon.com!
The retrial is scheduled to begin Monday in Buncombe County, according to court records.
Sam and Jane Whaley founded Word of Faith Fellowship in 1979. The report claims members of the nondenominational Protestant congregation consider Jane Whaley a prophet.
Whaley has denied that she or other church leaders abused congregants. The church said accusations publicized by The Associated Press came from “certain former members” seeking to target the ministry. It also maintains that it does not condone abuse.
Former members have accused the church of controlling major areas of their lives, including education and marriage. They also alleged congregants were slapped, choked or thrown to the floor during loud group-prayer sessions.
The Bible clearly teaches that deliverance from demonic oppression is real. Jesus cast out demons, and the New Testament records His followers confronting evil spirits through His authority.
That biblical reality also makes discernment and accountability essential. Deliverance ministry must never become a justification for physical force, coercion or abuse. When spiritual authority is mishandled, a practice intended to bring freedom can instead place vulnerable people in serious danger.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
