(DailyAnswer.org) – Tony Evans, a megachurch pastor in Dallas and a best-selling author, is stepping down from leading the ministry. The senior pastor of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship announced on June 9 that he would be leaving the role because of an undisclosed “sin” he committed years ago that caused him to “fall short” of the biblical standards required of a pastor.
Evans claimed that, though he had not exercised “righteous judgment” in his past behavior, he had committed no crime. His decision to step down from the ministry leadership comes after 47 years of preaching. A pioneer in the black Christian community, the pastor founded the Fellowship in 1976. The church has since grown from 10 people in a home to more than 10,000 members.
Evans is renowned for writing several faith-related books and for his role as the chaplain for the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Cowboys. His radio program airs on over 1,000 stations across the world. Church leaders stated that Evans’ decision was not sudden, and that it came after “multiple meetings” and “tremendous prayer”.
In 2021 the pastor proposed a “biblical response” to divisive critical race theory. Evans argued that critical race theory was a “social construct” rooted in the Civil Rights movement, and suggested that an alternative “Kingdom race theology” should be followed instead.
The pastor explained that this theology recognized, affirmed and celebrated “divinely created” separate races, presenting these differences as evidence of God’s “multifaceted glory”. He expressed concerns that Christians spent too much time “fighting off” arguments grounded in critical race theory and not enough on embracing these differences.
The reasons for Evans’ departure are currently unknown. The pastor emphasized that when a Christian in his position sins and falls short of the church’s standards, they are required to “repent” and revive their relationship with God. He stressed the need to apply the same biblical standard to himself that he applies to the members of the church. Evans said he had “submitted” to a process of restoration established by the elders of the church to focus on “spiritual recovery”.
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