After 48 years and many worship services, Dr. Tony Evans of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in South Dallas announced to his congregation on Sunday that he is stepping away from his pastoral duties.
Dr. Evans, the first Black person to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, founded the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in 1976 along with his friend Rev. Crawford Loritts.
At the time, they had only 10 members and held services in Evans's home with his late wife, Lois. Since then, the church has garnered over 10,000 congregants and has 100-plus ministries.
“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,” Evans said in a released statement.
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“When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God. A number of years ago, I fell short of that standard. I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others.”
Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship officials said they made a difficult decision after much prayer and several meetings with Dr. Evans and the church elders.
"The elder board is committed to leading the church in line with the teachings of the scriptures," the church stated.
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"Dr. Evans and the elders agree that it's the elders' responsibility to hold any elder or pastor accountable if they don't meet the high standards of the scripture, and to ensure that the church maintains its integrity."
Evans shared that moving forward, Pastor Bobby Gibson and the elders will provide more information regarding interim leadership and the next steps for the future of their church.
