Pastor Tony Evans, just over a year after stepping down as leader of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas, has resumed preaching.
Last month, Evans participated in the FAMiLY Leadership Summit held in Iowa, which was hosted by The FAMiLY Leader and led by President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats.
In his speech titled “Principle Over Politics,” Evans emphasized that Christians are called to promote the principles of God's Kingdom across every sphere of life on Earth.
He stated, “God’s not going to skip the church house to fix the White House. It will be the job of the Church of Jesus Christ to birth a generation of followers of Christ who progressively grow to representing Christ in the statehouse, in the White House, in the schoolhouse and in the culture who aren’t dumbed down by the culture but who are impactful for the culture,” he said.
Evans also shared a vision, saying, “My brothers and sisters, one day, there’s a big show coming to town. God is the producer, the Holy Spirit is the director, Jesus is the superstar, and it will be a worldwide production. It’s called the Kingdom of God,” he said.
He continued, “But in the meantime, He has left you and me here as previews of coming attractions. See, we’re supposed to be the hot clips of the upcoming show. People are supposed to see the clips of our presence and impact and the culture and say that clip is hot and raise the question, ‘Where can I buy a ticket to the whole show?’” he added.
In June 2024, Evans revealed that after 48 years of leading his church, he had fallen short of biblical standards many years prior, which led to his stepping away from his ministry. While he did not specify what the sin was, he clarified that he had not broken secular laws.
“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 explained in his confession.
He stated, “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. I have shared this with my wife, my children, and our church elders, and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me,” he said.
Evans also acknowledged, “While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgment in my actions. In light of this, I am stepping away from my pastoral duties and am submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders.”
It remains unclear whether Evans has been restored to his ministry.
