Loraine Daly arrived at church armed with her faith. But that faith proved to be misplaced when the spirit of the Lord entered her body and she hit the floor. And there was nobody there to save her.
Religious Affairs Writer, Sydney Morning Herald. September 27 2002 http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/26/1032734278505.html

Now Ms Daly, 40, is suing the Assemblies of God-affiliated Waterloo church, the Sydney Christian Life Centre, arguing that the church breached its duty of care that Sunday — August 8, 1996.

Ms Daly, of West Como, is claiming up to $750,000 in damages, including future loss of earnings, telling the NSW District Court she suffered brain damage from the fall, leaving her with disabilities including headaches, nausea, memory loss, impaired concentration and a feeling of vagueness.

The court was told by Ms Daly’s lawyer that the Sydney Christian Life Centre had been negligent in failing to ensure there were enough “catchers” — people appointed by the church to cushion the fall of those experiencing what is referred to within the Pentecostal movement as being “slain in the spirit”.

It was also claimed that the church had failed to ensure that the catchers were in position before the Rev Tim Hall started the prayer service, which usually brought on such fainting episodes. And the church had not provided falling members of the congregation with a sufficiently padded area to prevent injury. Instead, when Ms Daly’s spirit was slain, she fell backwards on to a concrete floor covered only in a thin layer of carpet. Nobody came forward to assist her.

The court heard sworn statements from friends of Ms Daly who claimed her personality and behaviour dramatically altered after the incident.

Rev John Wilkinson, who, as pastor of the Sutherland Christian Life Centre employed Ms Daly as his private secretary during the late 1980s, said he believed Ms Daly had possessed “an outstanding mental capacity”.

She had “a photographic memory” before the fall of August 1996, according to another witness.

The court also heard, however, that Ms Daly had previously suffered similar ailments after two car accidents in 1986 and 1993. According to Dr Allan White, a Newcastle-based psychiatrist with 20 years’ experience in the treatment of head injuries, her symptoms were not consistent with a permanent brain injury and it was more likely her condition was the result of anxiety and depression.

UPDATE: October 19th - District Court Judge James Black found yesterday the centre had not been negligent.

“There was no evidence before me that it was normal for people to fall before they were individually prayed for . . .” he said.

Church not liable for Lord’s early fallers

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Appeared in Issue CETF 8.1 December 2002
"...contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" -- Jude v3