Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church founder Tony Evans to step away from pastor duties
DALLAS - Tony Evans, one of the founding pastors of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, is stepping away from his senior pastoral duties, according to a new announcement.
Evans told his congregation on June 9 that he would be stepping back for "spiritual recovery and healing."
He spoke to the church members, but it was not part of the recording posted to the church website.
"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," wrote Evans in a statement. "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."
There has been much speculation as to what specifically caused Evans to step aside and for how long.
The specifics of the actions are not addressed in the statement.
"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," he wrote.
The Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship website says Pastor Bobby Gibson and the elders will give more information about interim leaders and the church's next steps.
Evans chartered the church in 1976, growing it from 10 members to 10,000 in recent years.
His ministry was the genesis for former president George W. Bush's faith-based initiative.
Bush visited the church in 1998 during his campaign and returned as president for the dedication of the church's Christian Education Center.
Evans also has ties to the Dallas Cowboys. His son Jonathan is the team chaplain.
During his time with the Cowboys, Tony Romo worked with Evans, donating $1,000,000 to his urban initiative.
Romo's donation led to the nationwide expansion of the program where churches adopt public schools and provide mentoring and other services.