Assault and kidnapping retrial for Word of Faith religious group leader set in North Carolina

An assault and kidnapping retrial is set for Brooke Covington, the leader of the secretive Word of Faith religious group in North Carolina. The case began in 2017 when she was tried on second-degree kidnapping and simple assault charges for allegedly holding down and beating a former member named Matthew Fenner for over 13 years ago. The original trial ended in a mistrial due to the jury foreman's research interfering with deliberations.

Since then, Covington has maintained her innocence, and numerous delays have occurred, including COVID-19, changes in prosecutors, and the suspension of the original prosecutor's law license. The new trial is scheduled to begin on Monday in Buncombe County.

Word of Faith Fellowship, a nondenominational Protestant church founded in 1979, is accused of abusing its members, including holding them down and beating them during so-called "blasting" sessions. The church denies these allegations and claims it is targeted by former members seeking to tarnish its reputation. The AP, which extensively covered the Word of Faith case, reports that the church's membership has dwindled from about 700 to roughly 300 to 400 people.

The group allegedly controlled members' lives, dictating their relationships, education, and even their ability to attend college.