Paula Michelle White-Cain (née Furr; April 20, 1966) is an American
pastor, author, and televangelist. From 2014 until May 2019, she was
senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center, in Apopka, Florida, a
non-denominational, multicultural megachurch. She was formerly the
co-pastor of Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Florida, a
church she co-founded with pastor and then-husband Randy White in
1991.White became chair of the evangelical advisory board in Donald
Trump's administration. She delivered the invocation at his
inauguration, on January 20, 2017. She is the first female clergy
member to deliver the invocation. She was listed number three on the
"50 Most Powerful 2017: Philanthropy & Community Voices" list in the
Orlando Magazine July 2017 issue. In November 2019, Trump appointed
her special advisor to the Faith and Opportunity Initiative at the
Office of Public Liaison.White was born Paula Michelle Furr in Tupelo,
Mississippi, the daughter of Myra Joanelle and Donald Paul Furr III.
Her parents owned a toy and craft store. Donald and Myra Furr's
marriage began to fail when White was five years old. White's mother
left Tupelo and took her to Memphis; her separation from her husband
and his subsequent suicide drove White, her brother, and her mother
into poverty. White's mother became an alcoholic. While she worked,
her daughter was looked after by caregivers. White has said that she
was sexually and physically abused between the ages of six and
thirteen by different people on different occasions. She has said that
during that time, she suffered from bulimia.
pastor, author, and televangelist. From 2014 until May 2019, she was
senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center, in Apopka, Florida, a
non-denominational, multicultural megachurch. She was formerly the
co-pastor of Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Florida, a
church she co-founded with pastor and then-husband Randy White in
1991.White became chair of the evangelical advisory board in Donald
Trump's administration. She delivered the invocation at his
inauguration, on January 20, 2017. She is the first female clergy
member to deliver the invocation. She was listed number three on the
"50 Most Powerful 2017: Philanthropy & Community Voices" list in the
Orlando Magazine July 2017 issue. In November 2019, Trump appointed
her special advisor to the Faith and Opportunity Initiative at the
Office of Public Liaison.White was born Paula Michelle Furr in Tupelo,
Mississippi, the daughter of Myra Joanelle and Donald Paul Furr III.
Her parents owned a toy and craft store. Donald and Myra Furr's
marriage began to fail when White was five years old. White's mother
left Tupelo and took her to Memphis; her separation from her husband
and his subsequent suicide drove White, her brother, and her mother
into poverty. White's mother became an alcoholic. While she worked,
her daughter was looked after by caregivers. White has said that she
was sexually and physically abused between the ages of six and
thirteen by different people on different occasions. She has said that
during that time, she suffered from bulimia.
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