Broken faith

Co-defendant testifies against minister in church abuse case

rUTherFordTon, n.C.

One of five people charged with trying to beat “homosexual demons” out of a fellow church member in North Carolina testified for prosecutors Friday, saying she threw the first slap after their minister began the attack.

Sarah Anderson took the stand despite defence objections in the trial of Word of Faith minister Brooke Covington. Anderson accused her of starting the confrontation with Matthew Fenner after a January 2013 service at the Spindale church.

She testified that Covington started pushing Fenner’s chest and screaming “Open your heart!” Anderson said she then slapped Fenner in the face, and about 30 church members then joined in, beating, screaming and choking the man for about two hours.

Anderson’s testimony obviously surprised the minister’s lawyers.

During opening statements the day before, defence attorney David Teddy said Word of Faith members did not attack Fenner at all. He said they gave him routine prayer that lasted no longer than 15 to 20 minutes, and that Fenner hugged everyone when it was over.

Anderson, 30, left the church in February 2016 after accusing Covington and other church leaders of abusing her one-yearold son.

She said she has made no deal with prosecutors, and gave no reason on the stand why she decided to incriminate herself. She answered their questions in a matter-of-fact, unemotional tone.

Covington, 58, faces up to two years in prison if convicted. She is the first of the five church members charged to face trial. Each defendant will be tried separately.

Anderson said church leaders made her a mentor for the 23-year-old Fenner. She testified that in that role, she went to Covington, telling the minister that she thought Fenner had experienced “some kind of sexual sin or thought.”

Anderson said Covington then confronted Fenner and became the ringleader in the attack.

Even after Fenner confessed during the beating to having had homosexual thoughts in a dream, Covington urged them to continue, she testified.

“Brooke asked him ‘did your body manifest?’ which means, did you have an erection? And he said ‘yes,’” Anderson said.