DALLAS (AURN News) - Tony Evans, the prominent pastor, author, and the first African American to earn a doctoral degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, has stepped down from the Dallas-area megachurch he founded over 40 years ago after admitting to a past moral failing. In a statement issued last Sunday and posted on the website of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church, Evans acknowledged committing an unspecified sin "a number of years ago" that fell short of the biblical standards he had preached.

"When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God," Evans said in the statement. "I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others."

Evans said he has shared the matter with his wife, children, and church elders "and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me." No other details were provided. The church's website stated that interim leadership would be announced in the coming days, under the oversight of executive pastor Bobby Gibson and the elders.

One of the most prominent African American evangelical leaders, Evans recently married his second wife in a private ceremony. In a 2022 interview with the American Urban Radio Networks, Evans reflected on the historic role of Black churches as community hubs.

"The Black church historically was the center of life for the Black world...Not just religious life, it was the center of all of life," he said. "So we shouldn't be surprised that out of the Black church came our doctors, our lawyers, our teachers, our entertainment, our politicians, and on and on and on and on."

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