Brooke Covington, a leader of the Word of Faith Fellowship, begins a retrial in Buncombe County this Monday. She is accused of second-degree kidnapping and simple assault stemming from a 2010 attack on former member Matthew Fenner.
The 2010 'blasting session' and the charges against Brooke Covington
Matthew Fenner alleges that in 2010, he was subjected to a "blasting session" at the Word of Faith Fellowship compound in Spindale. According to the source, Fenner claims he was choked and beaten for two hours by members, including Brooke Covington, who sought to "expel homosexual demons" from him.
Brooke Covington faces charges of second-degree kidnapping and simple assault for her alleged role in holding Fenner down during the assault. While Covington maintains her innocence, the prosecution asserts that the event was a violent attack rather than a protected religious rite.
A nine-year delay since the 2017 mistrial
The current legal proceedings in Buncombe County follow a 2017 trial that ended in a mistrial. As reported by the source, that first trial collapsed after the jury foreman introduced his own independent research into the deliberations, preventing the jury from reaching a verdict.
The subsequent nine-year gap was caused by a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, the retirement or death of several attorneys, and a jurisdictional transfer to a new prosecutor. This delay has left the 2010 allegations in a state of legal limbo for over a decade.
The decline of Word of Faith from 700 to 400 members
Word of Faith Fellowship, founded in 1979 by Sam and Jane Whaley, has long been accused of exercising extreme control over its congregants. an Associated Press investigation detailed allegations that the church dictated members' marriages and educational choices, while using physical violence—including slapping and choking—during group prayers.
The influence of the church appears to be waning, as a former leader's sworn statement indicates membership has dropped from approximately 700 people a decade ago to between 300 and 400 today. jane Whaley has historically defended these practices as religious discipline protected by the Constitution's freedom of religion tenet.
The dispute over District Attorney Ted Bell's handling of the case
The legal path to this retrial was complicated by accusations that District Attorney Ted Bell was too lenient toward the church. Attorney Andrew LaBreche claimed that Bell ignored new evidence and attempted to drop the felony kidnapping charge against Brooke Covington.
The conflict escalated when Superior Court Judge William Stetzer suspended Andrew LaBreche's law license for three years, citing "repeated acts of dishonesty." While LaBreche is appealing this suspension, the friction between the defense and the original prosecution added layers of complexity to the case's progression.
The silence of the current prosecutor and Covington's legal team
Significant details regarding the upcoming trial strategy remain unknown, as neither the new prosecutor nor Brooke Covington's current lawyer responded to requests for comment.. it remains unclear if the prosecution will introduce new evidence or rely solely on the 2010 testimony of Matthew Fenner.
Furthermore, the source does not clarify if other victims of the alleged "blasting sessions" will be called as witnesses to establish a pattern of behavior within the Word of Faith Fellowship, or if the defense will lean more heavily on the religious freedom arguments previously cited by Jane Whaley.
Comments 0