Tony Evans ‘steps down’.

Tony Evans says he is stepping down in light of "sin" that occurred "years ago". What's up with the delay? Was he hiding his sin for however many years? Why out with it now? How is his current situation affected by this sin if it happened "years ago"?

On one hand I can see how it would be a wise not to disclose any details because inquiring minds don't need to know but then it leaves the door open to rumors and conjecture which can be troublesome too.

This does bring up an interesting question though... We all sin.. pastors included. So, at which point should a pastor step down?
 
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If there were no reproach to it, and if it weren't disqualifying, he'd have said what it was. This is all about saving his pride, and so I have no sympathy.

Someone will talk soon enough, though.
 
I listen to him and will be praying for him and the family.
 
abcaines said:
Tony Evans says he is stepping down in light of "sin" that occurred "years ago". What's up with the delay? Was he hiding his sin for however many years? Why out with it now? How is his current situation affected by this sin if it happened "years ago"?

On one hand I can see how it would be a wise not to disclose any details because inquiring minds don't need to know but then it leaves the door open to rumors and conjecture which can be troublesome too.

This does bring up an interesting question though... We all sin.. pastors included. So, at which point should a pastor step down?
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Pastor's, like their congregations do sin.
A Pastor steps down, more often than not, when immorality is involved.
I have no idea what happened in this case.

His public statement:
Dr. Evans’s Statement to the Church on June 9, 2024
It has been my glorious joy and privilege to serve as your senior pastor over these last 48 years. I praise God for giving me the opportunity to witness his hand of power and blessing that took 10 people in a house and brought us to where we are today. This journey has been filled with a multitude of joys and sorrows, successes and failures, mountains and valleys, but God has always been there to see us through. None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family, our great team of leaders, staff, and kingdom servants who have supported me throughout the years.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. 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. This will afford me a needed time of spiritual recovery and healing.During this time, it is critical that the ministry of OCBF continue as vibrantly as ever. Remember, you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, not a man. Pastor Gibson and our leadership will keep you informed on how things will continue moving forward with the ministry. During this season, I will be a worshiper like you and look forward to seeing all that God is going to continue doing to make his name great as we continue to build kingdom disciples, who function as kingdom servants, in order to make a kingdom impact as He advancesHis kingdom agenda at OCBF. 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.
 
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.I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others.
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Emphasis mine.

Therein lies the rub: regardless of what he means by "falling short", that "a number of years ago" bit caused me to wonder what he's done in all this time... was this falling short a one time isolated event or was it a continuous pattern of behavior that rose up and finally (or will soon) bite him in the rear?

I'm sorry but I find his statement to be vague and elusive, just as troubling if not more so than the event(s) that necessitated this stepping down.
 
Pastors and politicians are one of the only jobs where you can keep ur job even though you are not completely fulfilling the job requirements.
 
Ekklesian said:
If there were no reproach to it, and if it weren't disqualifying, he'd have said what it was. This is all about saving his pride, and so I have no sympathy.

Someone will talk soon enough, though.
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I thought the same thing...most people, when they confess their sin if they're removing themselves from ministry, open up and tell what sin it was and when it occurred. I agree with both you and abcaines that the sin should have been named as a transparency issue, otherwise this removing of himself rings hollow. I have to say that I really loved listening to him in the 90s and early 2000s, but when the slide towards social justice, etc came about in his preaching, which he'd never done before, ie, using the race card, it really made me move away from him. It's not that I want to know what sin he committed, but, all the other pastors who have left their ministries have admitted, one way or the other, what sin had led to their fall from grace.
 
The big question to ask is whether this was something that he came out and confessed to or was it a matter of him being caught and confronted?

I am not a big fan of Tony Evans but I also have no ill will towards him.

If it is a moral failure of some sort, I would guess that such would eventually come to light. He lost his first wife some years back and I can only imagine the struggles, loneliness, and temptations where one suddenly finds themselves alone! Being a pastor in the midst of all this only exacerbates such loneliness!

He did say "a number of years ago" so perhaps it is in context with this and perhaps it pertains to whatever "dating and courtship" period he may have had prior to his present marriage?
 
Baptist Renegade said:
The big question to ask is whether this was something that he came out and confessed to or was it a matter of him being caught and confronted?

I am not a big fan of Tony Evans but I also have no ill will towards him.

If it is a moral failure of some sort, I would guess that such would eventually come to light. He lost his first wife some years back and I can only imagine the struggles, loneliness, and temptations where one suddenly finds themselves alone! Being a pastor in the midst of all this only exacerbates such loneliness!

He did say "a number of years ago" so perhaps it is in context with this and perhaps it pertains to whatever "dating and courtship" period he may have had prior to his present marriage?
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The point is this...we can all SUPPOSE what it is and whether it was brought to him by another, or he brought it to the elders. Either way, he's presented himself for discipline and correction and has withdrawn himself from the ministry for the time being, possibly to return at a later point in time. That is between him and the ones he has submitted himself to. Vivian and I stopped listening to him a few years back when he started bringing the social justice, and race relations bit into the picture. He hadn't done that before, and I believed that he had begun to try and appease the liberal left, especially in light of the fact of the makeup of his congregation.
 
Baptist Renegade said:
The big question to ask is whether this was something that he came out and confessed to or was it a matter of him being caught and confronted?

I am not a big fan of Tony Evans but I also have no ill will towards him.

If it is a moral failure of some sort, I would guess that such would eventually come to light. He lost his first wife some years back and I can only imagine the struggles, loneliness, and temptations where one suddenly finds themselves alone! Being a pastor in the midst of all this only exacerbates such loneliness!

He did say "a number of years ago" so perhaps it is in context with this and perhaps it pertains to whatever "dating and courtship" period he may have had prior to his present marriage?
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This would be understandable, and I don't think anyone would despise him for it. Just like no one despises the beggar who steals a loaf of bread.

Still, having someone in a position of leadership for this type of failure, regardless of the sentiments toward him, has a tendency to mitigate the offense of, if not hallow similar failures, in the eyes of others.

Still, there needs to be transparency.
 
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