Paula White takes over Without Walls church

Paula and Randy White, who built Without Walls International Church into a powerful ministry that attracted celebrities and a fortune in donations, traded duties at the pulpit today, as Paula White returned to the church as its senior pastor.

"Mama is back," White told the congregations at the 9 and 11 a.m. services, in turning over the church to his ex-wife, whose dynamic preaching helped build Without Walls into one of the fastest-growing Christian ministries in the country.

"I'm not visiting. I'm home. I'm here," Paula White said at the 11 a.m. service. "I look forward to leading you into the place that God has designated and designed for us."

White stepped down as the church's pastor in 2007, after the Whites announced they were divorcing, and turned her attention to a soaring career as a televangelist with a worldwide following, life coach and author.

Without Walls sputtered without her.

The Whites' divorce shattered the image of a power couple, unified by faith and a shared sense of purpose, and the church struggled to fill its 4,000-seat sanctuary. At their peak, the Whites preached a "prosperity gospel" and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, expensive homes and cars - even a private jet - but the church's finances bottomed out after its founders split. Then a congressional investigation into several ministries cross the country challenged the church's nonprofit status, amid questions about how the Whites were spending the millions of dollars Without Walls was collecting.

After having promised a big announcement, Randy White welcomed his former wife as a special guest last Sunday. Today, big crowds turned out for what was billed as a celebration of Randy White's 18 years of ministry.

"Paula is here and she's here to stay, and she's going to be taking the reigns of Without Walls International Church," White said at the 11 a.m. service. "For her to step into this is a tremendous responsibility and we pledge her our full support."

White said he started thinking about making a change about six months ago, after a series of health problems triggered by stress. Among other issues, White said he suffered a collapsed lung and from high blood pressure.

"I've got to do this because the doctors are telling me if I don't it's going to kill me," White recalled thinking.

White said he immediately thought of his ex-wife as someone who could step in to lead Without Walls.

"She is going to take this ministry to the entire next level," White said at the 9 a.m. service.

Paula White described her former husband as a "visionary," called to Tampa to found the Without walls International Church 18 years ago, overcoming lean times and starting with nearly nothing. She said she would not be the "woman of God" she is today without him.

"Pastor, you have served us faithfully for 18 years," she said at the 11 a.m. service.

"We will not let your legacy lie in the dirt."

After countless personal words of praise and a video tribute, featuring well-known ministers such as Bennie Hinn, Leslie Hale and T.L. Lowery; White thanked the church for all it had given him.

"You have made my life feel like it's made a difference," he said.

White didn't say what he would be doing as he steps away from Without Walls. He told congregants they could keep in touch with him through the Facebook and Twitter social networking sites.