According to recent reports, Dr. Tony Evans, the leader of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church in Dallas, Texas, and its massive 11,000-member congregation, is stepping down from his leadership in the church to undergo a season of healing over sin in his life.
The church’s elder board posted a statement on its website that announced Evans would be pulling away from his pastoral duties while maintaining that the church must be governed on Biblical principles. The message read, “On Sunday, June 9, at both services, Dr. Tony Evans announced that he will step away from his senior pastoral duties at OCBF. This difficult decision was made after tremendous prayer and multiple meetings with Dr. Evans and the church elders.”
The board further illustrated that elders and pastors who fall short of the high standards set for Christian leaders must be held accountable before the congregation for the sake of the Church’s adherence to the teachings of Christ. However, God is forgiving and provides opportunities for restoration.
“Dr. Evans and the elders agree that when any elder or pastor falls short of the high standards of scripture, the elders are responsible for providing accountability and maintaining integrity in the church,” the elder board continued. “We serve a God that is merciful to forgive and gracious to restore. In the days ahead, Pastor Bobby Gibson and the elders will provide more information regarding interim leadership and the next steps for the future of our church.”
Evans did not specify the sin that entered his life, leading to his stepping down at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. However, he stated that he hadn’t committed any crimes, but had fallen short of biblical teachings. He said, “The foundation of our ministry has always been our commitment to the Word of God as the absolute supreme standard of truth to which we are to conform our lives. When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God.”
The prominent Christian leader emphasized that he needed “repentance and restoration.” Evans further elaborated, “A number of years ago, I fell short of that standard. I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others. I have shared this with my wife, my children, and our church elders, and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me. While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgment in my actions. In light of this, I am stepping away from my pastoral duties and am submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders.”
“I have never loved you more than I love you right now, and I’m trusting God to walk me through this valley. Thank you for your love, prayers, support, and forgiveness as I continue my spiritual healing journey. As we walk this journey together, keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” the pastor said.
Featured image credit: The Urban Alternative, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tony_Evans_The_Urban_Alternative.jpg