Evangelical pastor and radio host Dr Tony Evans cited “unspeakable sins” when he resigned as senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, the latest controversy for prominent American pastors.
It's a common pattern in American Christianity: Popular pastors promote their faith, invite scrutiny and often get called out for indiscreet behavior, according to Deborah Whitehead, a professor of religion at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“One of the dangers of celebrity is that, in addition to high visibility and the fame and fortune that come with it, your mistakes become even more public,” Whitehead said. “That can certainly spark controversy about faith.”
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America has a long history of clergymen being celebrities, a trend that was seen as early as the 1700s, when preacher George Whitefield became what some historians consider “the first American celebrity,” Whitehead said.
The proliferation of televangelist pastors in the 1980s and subsequent decades was popular until they faced controversy. Many evangelical pastors at the time were embroiled in scandal, including disgraced pastors Jimmy Swaggart and Ted Haggard.
“There's a long history of very well-known figures being hypocritical in some way and having to go through very public scandals and sometimes even imprisonment,” Whitehead said. “This has influenced how Christianity, and evangelical Protestantism in particular, is viewed, but also how religion in general can be subject to suspicion.”
What happened to Dr Tony Evans?
Evans founded Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas in 1976 and the church, which started with about 10 people in a home, has grown to more than 10,000 members.
Evans's reputation is similar: His radio show, “The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans,” airs on more than 1,000 stations around the world. He's best known for serving as chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks. He's also the author of several faith-based books.
Whitehead said Evans was known as a pioneer in the black faith community.
Tony Evans, Evangelical Pastor, TexasLeaving the Church for an Unnamed “Sin”
In a statement on the church's website on Sunday, the pastor said he “did not commit a crime” but that his “actions lacked good judgment.”
“When sin causes us to fall short of that standard, we need to repent and repair our relationship with God,” Evans wrote. “A few years ago, I fell short of that standard, so I need to apply to myself the same biblical standard of repentance and repair that I have applied to others.”
The decision was not sudden, according to church leaders, who said he made it after “much prayer and multiple meetings” with church elders.
Many other well-known pastors have been in the news in recent years for controversy, allegations and controversial statements.
Two Controversies for Hillsong Church Leaders
In early 2022, megachurch pastor and Hillsong Church co-founder Brian Houston resigned from the Christian megachurch after he was accused of inappropriate behavior with two women and an internal investigation found the allegations to be true.
Two years earlier, Hillsong Church pastor Carl Lentz, who is known for pastoring Justin Bieber and other celebrities, was fired by church leaders for an extramarital affair.
In the documentary series “The Secret of Hillsong,” Lentz also denied allegations of sexual abuse and abuse of power.
“I take responsibility for allowing an inappropriate relationship to develop in my home with someone who worked for us,” he said on the show. “The idea that there was abuse is completely false. It was a mutual decision made as adults by two people who primarily lied to my wife.”
Lentz later joined a megachurch in the Midwestern city of Tulsa as a strategist in 2023.
Embattled former star minister:Carl Lentz leaves Hillsong for Tulsa megachurch
Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle
Mark Driscoll, former pastor and co-founder of Seattle's Mars Hill Church, was accused of bullying, overseeing mismanagement of church funds, and other complaints from members in 2014, according to The Seattle Times. Driscoll resigned from Mars Hill Church, and the church was dissolved. (A judge acquitted Driscoll of a civil fraud lawsuit in 2016, according to The Christian Post.)
Driscoll has since become the subject of new lawsuits over his church activities.
In April, he was escorted off stage at the religious group's Stronger Men's Conference in Springfield, Illinois, after he likened the conference's opening sword-swallowing performance to a strip club for women with a Jezebel mentality.
“Before the Word of God was opened, there was a platform. It was an elevated place,” Driscoll said, according to a video posted online. “On top of it was a pillar. The same one that women with a Jezebel spirit use in strip clubs to seduce men.”
Driscoll is currently the senior pastor and founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“The Spirit of Jezebel”Pastor walks off stage at Missouri Christian Conference
Billy Graham's son, Franklin Graham, has come under fire for homophobic remarks
Franklin Graham, the son of famous preacher Billy Graham, has come under fire for making homophobic remarks about former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Graham is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
On CNN, Buttigieg said, “God has no party,” to which Graham responded, “As a Christian, I believe the Bible defines homosexuality as a sin, something to be repented of, not something to be flaunted or glorified or politicized.”
Contributors:Joshua Botte, Emily DeLetter; With Julia Gomez Erin Jensen; USA Today
Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow @kaylajjimenez on X.
