Jonathan Evans, the son of Pastor Tony Evans, recently opened up about the overwhelming moment he learned his father would be stepping away from his pastoral role due to an undisclosed sin, calling it a “punch to the gut.”
In a heartfelt video, Evans, an associate pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF), recalled the shock he experienced earlier this year when he found out that his father, who has led the 11,000-member congregation of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, would be taking a break from his duties for a period of restoration, following the undisclosed sin.
“It was a shock to us … he told us that he’s going to take a step back from ministry, go to a time of healing and restoration — a time that he needs,” Jonathan said. “We’re all praying for his restoration, recovery, and for him to be fully back doing what he loves to do and what he’s called to do.”
The younger Evans, who serves as team chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys, described the news of his father’s decision to step back from ministry in June as a “sharp change” for him personally and caused him to “recalibrate.”
“He has been doing [ministry] since I was born, so I don’t know anything different,” he said, adding that during that time, he studied Psalms 46, which states that “God is our refuge and strength, our very present help in time of trouble.”
“So I need you to understand that God is with you. He’s with you, even though you don’t feel like He’s with you,” he said. “When my dad stepped back from ministry and stepped down from the pulpit, I needed this. I needed to know God is my refuge. God is my strength, and He’s very present.”
“Be still doesn’t mean don’t move. Be still doesn’t mean be physically irresponsible,” he added. “Be still means that you can be emotionally steady. Be still doesn’t mean stop stepping. It means stop stressing. But do what God has called you to do with an unwavering confidence that He is God.”
“So yeah,” he continued, “when my dad stepped down, it was a punch to the gut for me [and] my siblings. … God says, ‘Be still. I’m still God. Do not fear. Do not be afraid. I’ve already won.’ Just because there’s bumps along the way doesn’t mean victory hasn’t already been had.”
Tony Evans, a bestselling author and ministry leader who had pastored the church for 48 years, did not provide specific details on why he was stepping away from the pulpit.
However, he confessed in a written statement that though he did not commit any crimes, he fell short of the biblical standards espoused by his ministry, suggesting it was “due to sin.”
“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. When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God,” Evans stated.
The revelation came just months after his December 2023 wedding to Carla Crummie in a “private ceremony surrounded by family and close friends” four years after the death of his first wife, Lois.
Tony Evans was married to Lois Evans for 49 years before she died of biliary cancer at the end of 2019 at age 70. In a 2020 interview with The Christian Post, Evans said: “There’s no part of my life and ministry where her footprints aren’t felt.”
Speaking during a Father’s Day sermon days after his father’s announcement, Jonathan Evans told the Oak Cliff congregation that he expects a triumphant return of his father to his pulpit.
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