Approximately 16 months after announcing that Dr. Tony Evans would be stepping away as pastor from Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF), the church held a “restoration” service for Evans on Sunday, Oct. 5.
The elders, the congregation, and Evans’ family gave him a warm welcome, but Evans will no longer serve on church staff or in any leadership role.
“We are pleased to report that Dr. Evans has fully submitted to the church’s discipline and restoration process,” said Associate Pastor of Outreach Chris Wheel in a statement to the congregation, which responded with enthusiastic applause.
“This restoration process has included individual counseling with outside non-staff professionals and pastoral mentoring, evidence of genuine repentance and godly sorrow,” said Wheel, “demonstrated humility and a renewed desire to honor God, [and] a public stepping away from all formal ministry roles at OCBF.”
“Dr. Evans also took a 12-month period of absence from pulpit ministry to focus on personal growth,” Wheel added. “In alignment with biblical principles and unanimous affirmation of the elder board, Dr. Evans has successfully completed this restoration journey.”
Tony Evans Thanks, Apologizes to His Church
Dr. Tony Evans is a widely respected ministry leader, author and speaker. He pastored OCBF for 48 years, is the founder and president of The Urban Alternative, and has a radio broadcast titled “The Alternative With Tony Evans.”
In 2019, Evans’ wife of over 50 years, Lois, passed away from gallbladder cancer. In September 2023, Evans announced his engagement to Dr. Carla Crummie, and the couple wed in November 2023.
On June 9, 2024, Evans and OCBF announced that Evans would be stepping away from his pastoral responsibilities for a period of time in order to pursue repentance and healing for sin he committed “a number of years ago.”
The church and Evans did not disclose what that sin was, nor did anyone do so on Oct. 5. In a statement when he stepped away, Evans said, “While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgment in my actions.”
During the Sunday morning service, Evans’ son Jonathan Evans, who is a pastor at the church, told the congregation, “Today is a special day.”
“You need to know that in the wilderness, God gives places of restoration where you get to experience his mercy, experience his grace, and experience his love,” said Jonathan. “And today, we’re going to travel to that place of mercy, grace, and restoration.”
“We are pleased to report that Dr. Evans has fully submitted to the church's discipline and restoration process,” said Associate Pastor of Outreach Chris Wheel in a statement to the congregation.Click to Post
