Death of Pastor Zachary Tims May Be Drug Related

Rev. Zachery Tims, Jr., the 42-year-old pastor of a mega-church in Orlando, Florida, was found dead in a Times Square hotel room last week, shocking his thousands of parishioners. The cause of death is still pending, but news reports say that a substance believed to be narcotics was discovered with the body.

According to a law enforcement official, police found a glassine envelope with a white powdery substance inside the right pocket of Tims’ shorts. The substance is still being tested and it is yet to be determined if it played a role in the death. Police found no signs of trauma to Tims’ body and at this point law enforcement does not suspect foul play. Valuables and other belongings remained in the room.

Tims’ Drug Addiction Past

As a pastor, Tims may seem like an unlikely victim of drug overdose, but Tims’ dramatic story actually started when he was young and in need of drug treatment in Maryland. According to his 2006 memoir, It’s Never Too Late, he was “miraculously saved,” going on to earn multiple degrees and work at a ministry in Baltimore before founding Orlando’s New Destiny Christian Center in 2006 with his then-wife. In 2009, after 15 years of marriage, Tims and his wife Riva divorced when he admitted to a year-long affair with a stripper. The couple shared custody of their four children.

It’s tragic to see someone who seemed to have overcome drug abuse in his younger years to have potentially relapsed. Addiction treatment experts aren’t likely to be surprised, though. Anyone who has gone through addiction knows that recovery is a life-long process and addicts can never consider themselves “cured.”

Drug Treatment

If you or someone you love is in need of drug treatment or other help, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about drug abuse treatment, financing or insurance.