Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith

 

Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, a small Pentecostal church located in a strip mall, was the focus of massive media attention in 2003 due to the death of 8-year-old Terrance Cottrell, Jr. during a prayer service. 

Faith Temple was reported to have been in existance since 1977, but remained a small group; at the time of Terrance's death, only six families attended regularly.  Minister Ray Hemphill believed that Terrance (who was autistic) was possessed by evil spirits, and he assured Terrance's mother, Patricia Cooper, that the child would be cured of his autism once the demons were cast out.

 

The church arranged for a series of twelve exorcisms, all of which were unsuccessful in curing the child.  During the last exorcism attempt on the evening of Friday, August 23, 2003, Terrance (who, due to his autism, hated to be touched) was wrapped tightly in a sheet and restrained by several members of the congregation for several hours.  When he continued to struggle, Ray Hemphill laid on top of the child's chest until he stopped moving.  Around 11pm, the congregation discovered that the Terrance was not breathing.  Paramedics were unable to revive him.

 

An autopsy later concluded that Terrance died of suffocation.  Ray Hemphill was charged in his death.

 

At the trial, Pastor David Hemphill (Ray Hemphill's older brother and the senior pastor at Faith Temple), continued to insist that his brother had done nothing wrong.  "I'm the pastor and God has ordained my brother to be an evangelist, he has the gift to cast out devils," David Hemphill said.  He denied that his brother bore any responsibility for Terrance's death because "iif I lay down on someone and he passes away, God took him, I didn't."

Jurors did not agree.  Ray Hemphill was convicted of felony child abuse.

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"Autistic Boy Dies At Faith Healing Service", CNN, August 25, 2003

 

"Pastor Charged in Autistic Boy's Death at Church", CNN, August 26, 2003, http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/26/autistic.boy.death/index.html

 

"Exorcist's Brother Says God Took Autistic Boy's Life, Not Defendent", CNN, July 9, 2004, http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/07/09/exorcism/index.html

 

"Medical Examiner:  Autistic Boy Suffocated During Exorcism", Lisa Sweetingham, CourtTV News, July 7, 2004,  http://www.courttv.com/trials/exorcist/070704_ctv.html