Megachurch leader Tony Evans resumes ministry over a year after stepping down due to an unspecified ‘sin’

Texas Megachurch Founder Reinstated After Mysterious Departure

The leader of a Texas megachurch, who left his position last year due to a vague “sin,” is now back in the ministry, describing his time away as “a very challenging time.”

Pastor Tony Evans has announced that he has “successfully completed this journey of restoration,” and he will be welcomed back to the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas this Sunday.

When Evans stepped on stage, the congregation responded with enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation, marking his return after stepping down as leader in June 2024.

“This past year has been quite hard—a time spent away from what I cherish most—the proclamation of God’s Word,” Evans shared in a YouTube video following the news of his reinstatement.

“Much of what happened was my fault, and I needed to go through a period of repentance and restoration for healing to happen. Fortunately, our God is a God of restoration,” he added.

The church’s board of elders commended Evans for how he managed his moral failure, even as he had previously announced that his son, Jonathan, would take on the pastoral role during his absence.

Evans, who once served as a chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks, stated he “committed no crime” but admitted he “did not exercise good judgment” when he resigned last year.

“A few years back, I didn’t meet the standard,” he remarked during his resignation, emphasizing the need to apply the same Biblical standards of repentance and restoration to himself that he has applied to others.

The explicit details surrounding the “crime,” which prompted his resignation, were never disclosed to the public.

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, which Evans founded in 1976 as a small Bible study group, has since grown significantly, now boasting over 10,000 members and more than 100 ministries serving local and international communities.

In addition to his pastoral role, Evans is also an accomplished author of several best-selling worship books and hosts “The Alternative,” a daily radio show that reaches audiences in over 130 countries.

His return to the ministry coincides with the recent plea deal of another Texas megachurch pastor, Robert Morris, who admitted guilt to charges of lewd and lascivious behavior involving a child in the 1980s, leading to his resignation from Gateway Church in Southlake.