Zachery Tims, Florida Megachurch Pastor, Found Dead in NYC With Pocketful of White Powder

By Kyle Munzenrieder Mon., Aug. 15 2011 at 5:18 PM

Categories: News

As a teenager, Zachery Tims was a drug addict who found himself convicted of attempted murder. He decided to turn to religion, because, he said, "God has a greater plan." He eventually founded an Orlando-area megachurch. The ending to God's plan for Tims? He was found dead this past weekend in a guest room at the W Hotel in New York City.

Tims's body was found Friday afternoon at the luxury hotel in Times Square when a worker entered his room to check the minibar.

The Wall Street Journal reports that authorities located a white glassine envelope filled with white powder in the right pocket of the pastor's shorts. They believe the powder to be a narcotic. Glassine envelops are often used to store substances such as cocaine and heroin. Authorities have not confirmed whether the powder was connected to the death.

Tims founded the New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Florida, in 1996. The church now counts more than 8,000 members. Tims also made a name for himself in televangelism and frequently appeared on TBN.

However, Tims didn't always practice what he preached. He divorced his wife and mother of his four children in 2009 after admitting to a yearlong extramarital affair with a stripper.

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Lotwrst

hypocrite..no judging..just stating the fact.. He did everything he preached against....greed,attempted murder,drug addict, adultry..there is a reason he died so young, by himself....he could not go on speaking god's word any longer and lieing to thousands of people. The reason why his preaching was a shouting match...was because he was hopped up on coke.

Safarijen

if you really know God for yourself, and if you know yourself... you know how very sad this news is regarding Pastor Zach. There is no need to judge anyone when God is always right. Sin is the sick condition that the whole human race faces; along with the groaning of the whole creation. Jesus death paid for our ransom. ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. So if we expect anyone to be like God- we are dreaming. Yet, we are not allowed by God to continue to practice the sin that He died to bring us out of.... Sin brings death?... It is clear 'for the wages of sin is death'. I believe Pastor Zach is with Jesus... it's just the timing that grieves me...That it is not in accord with God's perfect will for the Man of God - in my humble opinion. JC

QUIZTURNER

I PRAY THAT HE REPENTED NO ONE CAN DIE IN THEIR SIN AND GO TO HEAVEN GOD GIVES A CHANCE TO REPENT ONLY GOD KNOW'S HOW LONG WE HAVE DONT PLAY WITH SIN IT WILL TAKE U STRAIT TO HELL

VakNoo

Wow thats sad, a real hypocrite.www.real-privacy.au.tc

Ms. Thang

He was an awesome preacher and had alot to live for. Going through a divorce is hard and who knows maybe he couldn't deal with it after all. I just say stop with the judging and keep his kids and family in your prayers.

anon_e_m00se

"Stop judging..."

Kind of like the pot and the kettle, no?

james_from_cambridge

A hypocritical, do as I say, not as I do Christian preacher? Impossible!!!

Noble1scott

Everyone in the Bible has a past and so do all of us. No one is perfect so don't judge him because as it turns out, he used his past to reach out to children and others who needed to hear a word from someone who has been through something, not someone who hasn't. If he had a picture perfect life then this would mean he didn't need G*d himself. Think before you speak sir.

Some Prick

@d5994cf46595013dc81c7848700e1b44:disqus - "No one is perfect so don't judge him.."No one is perfect. That is true, but he preaches against everything that he does. That is a hypocrite."because as it turns out, he used his pastt to reach out to children and others..." The fact that he had a horrible past & changed his life around is a great one. No one is disputing that. However, the extra marital affairs with hookers & drugs is all recent stuff.

QUIZTURNER

ITS THE WORD OF GOD THAT JUDGES IF THE WORD SAY ITS SIN THEN THATS WHAT IT IS NO ONE CAN DIE IN THEIR SINS AND GO TO HEAVEN. jESUS SAID JOHN14:6- I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME

james_from_cambridge

F*ck him! I'm sick of you Christian Taliban and your hypocritical hatred of gay people and others you find to be lacking, while in secret y'all are doing the same thing you condemn others for. I guarantee you there's more to come, including Marcus Bachmann. We'll be rid of you religious loons soon; you're destroying yourselves and turning everyone off with your disgusting hypocrisy, since everyone now knows that what you fascists condemn others for, you're doing in private, whether it be drugs, adultery or homosexuality.

ProChoiceGrandma

My sentiments exactly, James! Sometimes I feel like we are surrounded by these hypocrite looney toons, but they only think they have a bigger voice because they YELL louder, Quizturner being an example, chanting his Babble crap in all caps.

Religious hypocrites are sucking the brains out of simple folk, what little brains they had to begin with. Take for example the fundamentalist Christian parents who spanked their daughter to DEATH, because God required them to. http://bit.ly/oF3qvp

Dominionism is the new Nazism. We all need to speak up now against Christian Dominionism.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/a...

QUIZTURNER

ALOT OF PEOPLE CLAIMING TO BE CHRISTIANS ARE NOT THEY NEED TO BE SAVED AND SO DO U SIN WILL NOT COME INTO HEAVEN WE ALL NEED TO REPENT TURN AWAY FROM YOUR SIN AND TURN TO JESUS BY FAITH HE WILL SAVE U AND DELIVER U FROM YOUR SINS THATS Y HE CAME