More details have surfaced about Josiah Anthony's sudden resignation as lead pastor at Cross Timbers Church after church officials claimed that the clergy had a "concerning pattern of behavior, communicating inappropriately with women."
In late July, the Argyle church announced that the former senior pastor stepped down from his role due to "inappropriate and hurtful actions." They further stated that those actions did not include any children, physical or sexual interaction, or any illegal activity to their knowledge.
Following the announcement, the church issued another letter to its members in early August, offering further insight into the reasons behind the elders' and the pastor's decision to accept the resignation.
According to the church, Anthony, who became senior pastor in 2022, openly preached about his mental health issues and suggested that his actions were a result of his struggles. However, church officials later found out that the pastor was not forthcoming or transparent.
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Cross Timbers Church said on July 2 that it received a report about inappropriate communication between Anthony and a former staff member.
The communication was not sexual, but it was "excessively personal and overly familiar" with the other person, and the church stated it was inappropriate, considering Anthony was a pastor who held a position of authority. Anthony was then asked to resign and agreed to step down.
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The letter went on to say that after Anthony's resignation was announced to the congregation, the church learned about more inappropriate sexually explicit comments he made in text messages and on social media involving more women.
"We want to be very clear: We do not consider any of these instances to be emotional affairs," Cross Timbers Church church wrote in the letter.
"Because the power dynamics of these interactions were never equal, we do not consider these to be consensual. This behavior will not be tolerated at our church. Thank you to the women who were courageous coming forward. We believe you, are grateful for your willingness to share your experiences, and we are deeply sorry that your trust was violated."
The church said it may learn more soon and commit to taking more action as necessary. As the church searches for a permanent replacement, its founder, Toby Slough, will be interim lead pastor.
