After 48 years of preaching, evangelical pastor Dr. Tony Evans with his church because of an unknown sin he committed.
Evans, 74, who once served as chaplain for both the Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks, announced in a written statement to his congregation that he is stepping down as senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas.
“The foundation of our ministry has always been our commitment to the Word of God as the absolute supreme standard of truth by which we must conform our lives.
“If we fall short of that standard because of sin, we must repent and restore our relationship with God. Several years ago I did not meet that standard,” he wrote in the Sunday message sent to the church website.
Evans clarified that he committed no crime, but did not use “righteous judgment” in his actions.
Dr. Tony Evans, center, has announced that he is stepping down from Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church, an organization he founded in 1976.
Pictured: the auditorium where Evans delivered his passionate sermons to hundreds of congregants
He also did not say whether he would be open to returning after going through his “healing and recovery process” identified by church elders.
On May 27, two weeks before he resigned to address his past sin, Evans Posted an excerpt from one of his sermons in which he talked about how Christians should not look for anything extra in their lives outside of Jesus Christ.
“What many Christians are doing today is stepping outside of God to get help dealing with something real in their lives,” he said.
“So if you are a believer and have Christ, you don’t need to add anything beyond what Christ asks and expects to live victoriously.”
Evans founded the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in 1976 as a Bible study for just ten people. Now the church has more than 10,000 members and 100 different ministries aimed at adults, youth, singles and couples.
The pastor also has a popular daily radio show featuring segments of his energetic sermons called “The Alternative,” which airs on more than 1,400 stations in more than 130 countries.
It is unclear whether he will also relinquish those responsibilities.
President George W. Bush listens to applause with Reverend Tony Evans at the dedication of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship’s Youth Education Center, October 29, 2003 in Dallas, Texas
A statement shared by the church itself said the decision to sideline its most popular pastor “was made after tremendous prayer and multiple meetings with Dr. Evans and the church elders.”
‘Dr. “Evans and the elders agree that when an elder or pastor fails to meet the high standards of Scripture, the elders are responsible for accountability and maintaining integrity in the church,” the statement continued.
Bobby Gibson, another pastor at the church, will provide more information in the coming days about what’s next in church leadership, the statement said.
Evans previously made headlines in 2012 for publicly denouncing then-President Barack Obama’s decision to support gay marriage.