Tony Evans, a longtime pastor of a prominent evangelical megachurch in Dallas, stepped away from his position on Sunday citing an undisclosed “sin.”
“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,” he said in a statement posted online by his church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. “When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God. A number of years ago, I fell short of that standard.”
Mr. Evans said in the statement that he had “committed no crime” but “did not use righteous judgment in my actions.” He said he would submit to a “healing and restoration process” by other church leaders, but did not define what that meant.
The church’s website continued to feature him prominently at the center of its homepage on Tuesday morning.
Mr. Evans, 74, started his congregation in 1976, and it quickly grew to become one of the largest and best-known predominantly African American evangelical churches in the United States. He is a widely read author of dozens of books on topics like marriage, family, preaching and prophecy.
He spent years building a presence in overwhelmingly white evangelical spaces with his syndicated radio program. In 2019, he became the first African American to have published a study Bible and full commentary in his name. Herschel Walker, the former N.F.L. star who later ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in Georgia, and former President George W. Bush, offered tributes as part of a celebratory event marking the publication. Priscilla Shirer, a motivational and Biblical speaker with her own significant evangelical following, is his daughter.
“We serve a God that is merciful to forgive and gracious to restore,” church leaders stated on the Oak Cliff church’s website. “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.”