ASHEVILLE -- A leader of a religious group in Rutherford County has been sentenced to probation on charges stemming from an alleged assault, which authorities said was intended to expel "homosexual demons" from a young man.
The sentencing resolves a 13-year-old case.
Brooke Covington, 68, pleaded guilty Sept. 28 in Buncombe County Superior Court to misdemeanor charges of false imprisonment and simple assault in the January 2013 incident involving Matthew Fenner. Covington utilized an Alford plea, a type of plea that allowed her to accept her conviction while maintaining her innocence.
In court on Sept. 28, Superior Court Judge Alan Thornburg sentenced Covington to two years of probation. Covington received a conditional discharge in the case, meaning
that if she successfully completes her probation, the charges against her would be dismissed.
Prosecutor gives account of 'blasting' session in 2013
According to prosecutor Jonathan David, on Jan. 27, 2013, Covington held a leadership position at Word of Faith Fellowship Church in Spindale, North Carolina, which is led by Jane Whaley. At the time, Word of Faith had approximately 700 members and taught its members that people could be "possessed by devils, including the devil of homosexuality," David said.
Whaley considered Covington an adopted daughter, David said.
Church members participated in "blasting" sessions, in which they would surround a person, shouting at and praying for them, and at times using physical force against them, David said.
Fenner, who was 19 at the time of the alleged attack, joined the church with his mother in 2010 and moved to the church grounds in early 2012, when his mother was struggling financially, David said. Fenner was enrolled at Isothermal Community College, and a member of the church would follow Fenner to class to observe his behavior when he was not on church grounds, David said.
On Jan. 27, 2013, a Sunday night, Covington arranged a "blasting session" in the sanctuary targeting Fenner, David said. Church members suspected that Fenner and another young man were in a sexual relationship.
"Roughly 25 people surrounded Matthew at that point, with the intent to pray the gay out of Matthew," David said.
The session lasted more than two hours, with participants screaming, pushing, slapping and grabbing Fenner, even picking at healing wounds on his neck related to skin cancer treatment, David said. At times, they would take breaks to interrogate Fenner, David said.
Fenner understood that to stop the behavior, he would have to give the church members something, and so he admitted to having erotic dreams about the other man, David said. That ended the "blasting" session, and within 24 hours, Fenner and the other young man fled the campus.
Fenner went on to graduate from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a master's degree from North Carolina State University and attended medical school at Ohio State University. He is now serving residency as a surgeon in Sacramento, California, David said.
Fenner says "I feel like I can finally breathe again'
Fenner told the Citizen Times after the hearing that he is grateful his lengthy legal ordeal is over.
"I feel like I can finally breathe again," he said in a telephone interview. "It's been a 13-year battle of trying to get people to listen, … to do the right thing," he said. "This was a mercy and a compassion that was shown to them, and it was one that … they have never extended to anyone."
Fenner said he does not consider himself religious, and that his experience with Word of Faith has made him resilient.
"I think it's allowed me to prove to myself that when things get hard, I will stick to my values and I will still pursue the tenet of what is right," he said.
He said that he's applied that resilience to his clinical practice as a surgeon in California.
"I've seen what it feels like to be harmed and placed in vulnerable situations," he said."I also have the heart that wants to help people who have faced similar things, because I think I have a shared understanding of what it means to go through those situations."
Covington denies allegations
Covington's attorney, Noell Tin, said that Word of Faith members rely on the church's interpretation of scripture as the foundation of their beliefs.
"It permeates every aspect of their lives," he said.
He said that the session involving Fenner was "no different than any other prayer session," and that multiple witnesses said that there was no violence. He said that there is "a wide chasm" between what two groups of people are saying about the incident, and that he has 78 pages of affidavits and has personally interviewed at least 10 people who dispute Fenner's account.
Church statement: 'Today marks the end of thirteen years of 'lawfare'
Attorney Joshua Farmer, a member of Word of Faith Fellowship, said in a statement on behalf of the church that the plea deal Covington received is evidence that the state placed little faith in Fenner's account.
"The resolution of this matter today marks the end of thirteen years of “lawfare” against Brooke Covington and The Word of Faith Fellowship, instigated by Matthew Fenner and maintained by the State of North Carolina," Farmer said. "From the outset, we have been adamant that Brooke is falsely accused. Our prayer and our ministry are not violent or abusive. Matthew was not mistreated."
He called the case "baseless" and said that Covington's record will be expunged after she completes her probation.
"In the resolution of these matters today, Brooke Covington maintained her innocence, as she has steadfastly done since the beginning," Farmer said. "Further, after the passage of two years, the effect of today’s order will be nullified."
More background on Word of Faith case
Four other peoplewere charged in the alleged assault, but Covington was the "ringleader and the most culpable," prosecutor David said.
Covington has always denied the allegations against her and other church members. She stood trial in Rutherford County in 2017, but it ended in a mistrial after a juror brought personal research into deliberations.
Covington's case was transferred from Rutherford County to Buncombe County in 2022.
Word of Faith was the subject of a 2017 Associated Press investigation, which reported that the church exerted a high level of control over its members. The investigation also found that Word of Faith influenced law enforcement and social services.
Kara Fohner is the Public Safety Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email her at kfohner@usatodayco.com or call her at 980-241-8671.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Rutherford County church leader gets probation in 2013 assault case
