The pastor of a megachurch in Texas has been forced to resign over a “concerning pattern of behavior” that included unwanted “sexual” communication with women.
When senior pastor Josiah Anthony’s resignation was announced late last month, elders at Cross Timbers Church in Argyle cited “overly personal and intimate” inappropriate communications with women, which were not initially sexual in nature. WFAA reported.
But in an update to the congregation, the elders said further messages had been found to be “sexual in nature.”
Facebook / Cross Timbers Church
“Please know that we are not trying to hide it from you … we are telling you what we knew to be true at the time,” church elder John Chalk said Sunday.
“We have made mistakes along the way and should have communicated more clearly and directly,” he said. “Our lack of clarity led to a lot of speculation about the situation and, in our efforts to avoid causing unnecessary harm, we inadvertently did so.”
When announcing Anthony’s resignation, church elders noted he would preach about his spiritual struggles, but Chalk now says it seemed as if they were justifying his inappropriate behavior.
“That was not our intention and we are sorry for that,” Chalk said.
Chalk also apologized on behalf of another former staff member who described Anthony’s inappropriate behavior as an “emotional affair” and said none of Anthony’s interactions with the women were consensual because of a power imbalance created by his leadership role within the church.
Facebook / Cross Timbers Church
“Such behavior has no place in our church, and should never be tolerated in any church or any clergy. We offer our deepest apologies to those who experienced it,” Chalk added.
Chalk said church elders continue to investigate the situation while moving forward and are committed to making any necessary changes.
