White Says Without Walls Church Isn't In Default

Amid news reports that Without Walls International Church is in foreclosure, Pastor Randy White stood at the pulpit Sunday and blamed critics and creditors for trying to bring down the former megachurch.

"We're not going under and we're not going away," White said.

His ministry "never missed a payment in 71/2 years" with Evangelical Christian Credit Union, he said. The California-based lender filed foreclosure proceedings Tuesday, saying Without Walls defaulted on a $1 million loan due in August.

White told his congregation that the credit union is in financial trouble and Without Walls is the "victim of a bank that is going under." The lender wanted church leaders to sign a modified loan agreement, White said, that would force him to relinquish intellectual property rights to the ministry.

Attorneys advised him not to sign the agreement and the church has raised $126,000 to pay the interest on the loan, White said. He also has asked federal regulators to investigate the credit union, he said.

"We are not in default," White said.

Credit union spokesman Jac La Tour said last week that his agency had tried for months to negotiate a more affordable loan agreement with the church. He said an agreement was reached, but White did not sign it.

White told his congregation that he showed the credit union proof of a $1.3 million sale of property in Lakeland that could be used to pay the loan. He said the credit union responded with a letter stating the credit union "will not continue the loan in January."

At the end of his two-hour-plus presentation, White told those in attendance that they must continue to tithe and pray the credit union would "come to the table this week."

During his presentation, White criticized The Tampa Tribune's coverage of Without Walls and the church's financial situation. Tribune editors declined to comment Sunday.