Televangelist Juanita Bynum and husband Thomas W. Weeks ended their marriage in divorce court Friday, several months after an altercation in a hotel parking lot landed Weeks in jail on charges he choked and beat his wife.The couple exchanged few words and barely glanced each other’s way during a hearing that ended their six-year marriage. Bynum signed a settlement agreement last week offered by Weeks, and the proceeding before a judge in suburban Atlanta lasted less than an hour.
Bynum filed for divorce in September, a month after the quarrel in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel. Weeks ultimately pleaded guilty to assaulting her and is serving three years’ probation.
A 14-page document said neither party will receive alimony and Bynum will pay $40,000 of Weeks’ legal fees. The decision also restored Juanita Bynum’s maiden name as her legal one, though she never used Weeks’ last name while they were married.
Bynum left the courthouse smiling.
"I said from the beginning of this situation that this, too, shall pass, and it just did," she said.
Weeks also appeared in high spirits.
"It feels like a new day," he said outside court, adding he still has a "special love" for Bynum.
Bynum and Weeks married in a lavish ceremony in 2002. They have written books and lectured together on love and relationships.
Bynum leads a ministry that also includes a gospel record label and seminar tours. She has sold thousands of motivational books, CDs and DVDs related to empowerment and relationships.
Weeks, known to his followers as Bishop Weeks, co-wrote "Teach Me How to Love: The Beginnings" with Bynum.
[Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.]
2 comments:
Well, I say "nonetheless not our will, but God's be done". I just can't help but wonder who do you turn to for counsel when the "experts/mentors" of certain subjects fail? With many of our great leaders not being able to suceed through or stick it out - what hope does that leave the younger generation. I mean how do you counsel on marriage and write books and hold conferences and then fail at your own life situation? What is the audience left to do. Where are the husbands that love their wives as Christ loves the church? Will someone point the shownuff saved sisters to that section of the kingdom?
Hi, As a 27 year old african american married mother of 2 I am greived by the breakup but not surprised. i am grieved because the marriage becomes yeat another statistic in the christian communities high divorce rate, however i am not surprised because they are bot h human. As humans we are imperfect creatures and that could be any of us if we give way to the adversaries plan for the demise of a union ordained by God. It does not make them any less saved, it merely makes them seem more "human." We tend to put Pastors,preachers and christian celebrities on a pedastool and its our fault not theres. This only proves that "But by the grace of God there go I." It furthers makes us, or SHOULD make us married christians more cognizant of the reality that once we stop giving 200% and take our focus off kingdom mindedness for our marriages, we give the enemy a foothold in our lives. .And with that anything is possible ie infidelity,abuse,neglect...Thanks for listening. E. Chandler Pittsburgh Pa
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