“Tell the devil this is the last time you’re going to have me. I’m going across to the other side! We’re going to walk through the Red Sea your enemy’s going to try and chase you but he’s never going to catch up with you.” Zachery Tims
When it was first reported that that New Destiny Christian Center minister, Zachery Tims was found dead Friday evening at the W Hotel in Times Square New York, nothing suspicious was mentioned. However, late yesterday the New York Daily News found out from a police source that a small glassine envelope containing a white powder was found in the right pocket of his shorts.
Most newspapers said it was housekeepers who discovered the body lying on his back, between the bedroom and living room area. The room number of the W Hotel is given as 3711, very high up. To contradict this, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday (at 4:40 P.M.) that it was actually a maintenance worker, checking on a minibar, who opened a latched door to discover the deceased pastor.
Most stories emphasized that there was no evidence of foul play, such as robbery or that someone else had killed him. His jewelry and money were still with him, so this would rule out robbery. Another oddity is that it was unclear why Zachery Tims was even in New York. Now I’ve heard he was suppose to speak at a church, but where exactly is a mystery.
Zachery was only 42-years-old and appeared to be in tip-top physical shape. I watched one of his sermons on YouTube this morning and he looked like an athlete ready to play ball. No way this could be a heart attack with the pastor so physically fit as he was. Unfortunately, this reduces the possibilities that can be given for a cause of death. The glassine envelope of white powder takes on a greater significance in the context of these unexplained circumstances.
The medical examiner said that the autopsy conducted on Monday was inconclusive. Other tests will have to be conducted in order to determine the cause of death. Obviously, toxicology tests will be needed. Also, NY detectives are trying to trace where Pastor Tims went while in New York and who he talked to.
Tims’ New Destiny Christian Center was not opposed to material gain, and even coined the phrase prosperity gospel. His main message was that you can turn your life around and become a new man (or woman), even if you fall completely down. Tims had been a drug addict in his youth, so he could use himself as role model to accomplish this ‘new self’ goal.
The question of whether Tims fell from grace yet again, after gaining so much (both spiritually and materially), remains. A healthy man generally doesn’t just fall down dead (dying from natural causes) in a hotel hallway! The baggy of a white powder substance is a red flag of the greatest magnitude! What brought on a fall from the grace of God? 100 million worshippers want to know.
