Tony Evans is back.
The Dallas megachurch pastor who stepped away from pastoral ministry last year due to unspecified past “sin” returned to preaching last month for a politically conservative conference in Iowa.
In June 2024, Tony Evans, 75, stated that he committed a sin many years ago that wasn’t criminal, but lacked “righteous judgment in my actions.” Announcing he needed to hold himself to the same standard as he’s required for others, he stepped down from leading Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, the church he founded and led for more than 40 years.
For the past year, Oak Cliff has remained quiet on the details or timeline of the restoration process that Evans was allegedly undergoing and whether he will return to preaching there.
Then on July 11, Evans spoke at the FAMiLY Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, sponsored by Iowa-based The FAMiLY Leader, a conservative Christian public policy group. Pastors and politicians spoke at the conference, with Evans as one of the headliners.
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Although he’d been a past speaker at the summit, Evans joked in his speech that FAMiLY Leader CEO Bob Vander Plaats was hesitant to invite him back this year because Evans wasn’t “ready.” He then kidded that his readiness was related to whether or not he had had enough practice being a dynamic speaker.
Evans said he then offered Bob sample CDs of his sermons, but it wasn’t enough.
He finally offered, “Bob, I’ll come for free.”
Evans joked that Vander Platts said, “Now you’re ready.”
Vander Platts introduced Evans as a “dear friend” and someone who has cared about challenging men to be better husbands, fathers, and men of integrity.
“He is just a champion of the Gospel,” Vander Platts said. “He’s a champion of the family. He’s known all over the country and internationally. He has leaders’ ears, and they listen to him.”
The audience applauded as Evans took the stage.
The Roys Report (TRR) asked Oak Cliff spokesperson Lauren Stewart whether Evans has or will be returning to Oak Cliff to pastor or preach, and whether the church knew of or approved him to preach at the summit. She said the church has no comment.
TRR also reached out to the FAMiLY Leader to ask if they know the nature of Evans’ past sin and whether he has finished a restoration process. They didn’t immediately respond.
TRR also reached out to the spokesperson for Evans’ radio ministry Urban Alternative for comment but received no immediate response. Urban Alternative regularly posts archived sermons of Evans on its website.
At the conference in July, he preached about the importance of the church using the Great Commission to engage the world and culture without becoming part of conflicts. He likened this role to referees on a football field. Evans used to be the chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys, a role his son, Jonathan, a former NFL football player, now holds.
“I want you to disciple the culture,” he said. “Our job is to create a constituency of people. . . who understand that they are to reach up to heaven with their feet firmly planted in history so that the culture gets to see what the kingdom of God looks like when his representatives are on the field.”
Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado.
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22 Responses
The Bible clearly states have nothing futher to do with these people What an insult to the victims of these people who have “moral failures.” I wouldn’t want them to be TEACHING and influencing any of the new converts I have discipled. Or my daughter………………………………………
Please clarify “these people”. Where are you getting your information there are victims? I do not know anyone that’s hasn’t used poor judgment at some point in their life. I do know many which would never step back and take personal responsibility without first being public outed. Without specific firsthand accurate knowledge your comments are very misleading, reckless, and inappropriate.
Grace, that’s the problem with Tony, he just said he had sinned but didn’t break the Law. He wasn’t specific about his sin. IMO that was pretty sneaky of him, he just let us assume. He needed to be honest. If he cannot be transparent he has no place in GOD’s pulpit. Shame on him!
Doesn’t it depend on the sin, though? I don’t think we need to know all the details of all sins committed by leaders; if it wasn’t criminal (e.g. abuse, etc), I would think he needs to repent to those directly sinned against and to those holding him accountable and that’s it.
The rest isn’t our business.
I know that’s not as “exciting” and salaciously going over all the details….but isn’t the focus to be on repentance and restoration, not “what we know”?
Well said! Thank you for understanding God’s word. He’s a true leader. We all fall short daily. Welcome back Mr. Evans. Facts is what he teaches. They better open them ears that they can hear. Bless you!!
You are absolutely right!! People are just naturally NOSEY!!!!!
The apostle Paul called himself, “the foremost of sinners,” and “the least of all saints.” He confessed to his readers in the church at Rome, that “the good that I wish I do not do, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice,” and calls himself a wretch.
In today’s “Christian” culture, we would automatically assume that he is a criminal who is probably a child abuser or one who has morally failed in a sexual sense (there are other ways to fail morally!) and has left behind a myriad of victims. And since this is considered his earlies letters, all those other churches in Ephesus, Philippi, Galatia, etc. should have banned him from influencing any of their converts or daughters.
While it is evident that many churches would not, I think that Oak Cliff would have spoken out if his moral failure was hindering to a pastoral ministry. Many people like Tony Evans hold themselves to a higher standard and would disqualify themselves for something that might seem petty to other believers.
But your Bible says, that we have nothing further do with “these people.” Wait, didn’t Paul write something that to Titus and Timothy?
These very busy speakers have no time to have a family, let alone teach others on how it’s done properly. Two of the women are governors! Sanders had to change her diet to lose weight: home cooked meals are better than processed foods. We need moms who COOK. We need stay at home moms to lead a conference on families, not politicians.
Wow, this is full of a lot of sexist assumptions. There are plenty of working women who make time for families and cook too! And we don’t know what is going on with other people’s bodies to make judgment calls on their weight. Medications, hormones, thyroid issues, etc….let’s just not do that.
BTW if you want to take this to scripture, there are no verses that chastise women for working or having careers. Actually, several verses in Ephesians call on MEN to raise their children; wives are clearly helpmates in this. And the Proverbs 31 woman clearly worked.
I’m far more concerned about Sanders’ politics and her complicity with the first Trump presidency and the daily amount of lying she did behind the podium as the propgandist in chief than her diet and whatever patriarchal nonsense you just spouted
Given we don’t know what the sin is – we can’t really say if it’s our business to know or if proper accountability and restoration has taken place. (He still isn’t back at the healm of OCBF). It just leaves us with a bunch of assumptions, which are dangerous to operate off of.
In terms of the content of the message, it seems Biblical, timely, and on point. Now given the stage, I REALLY hope Evans does not get entangled in politics.
“I’ll come for free” while knowing full well that in one way or another he would be rewarded or gain something anyway.
“Few flames ascend without smoke”. Thomas A Kempis
Pastors can make mistakes, and shouldn’t be punished for most of them, anything from a Fart in Church to saying “Damnit,” and they shouldn’t be hit over the head for that. I remember a Pastor who was accused of smoking a cigarette. The Pastor broke down in tears, saying, “This is false, I dont smoke, never did, so they called the Lady in that seen him, Come to find out, the pastor was looking for a certain street and couldn’t find it so he stuck a pencil in his mouth while he was thumbing through his iPhone. maps, and she took the pencil as a cigarette, because it was white, it was a small Church with a lot of gossipers, and he darn near was sent down the road over something so stupid. The Gal did apologize big time and ask for his forgiveness. I knew of a pastor and a decon who were both saved from a very Hardcore Biker background and went into a bar one time to rescue a fella that went to their church. He was diabetic and had an alcohol problem, the 2 dont mix, plus the guy was on shaky grounds with his wife, so they went in to get him to save his neck, so to speak. And many of the folks thought they were all in the bar getting hammered, the truth finally came out, and they really. felt bad. from then on the Pastor was really spoken of very highly,
As they say on the internet… “Cool story bro”
No problem with him speaking or preaching. The joke about “not being ready” is recycled from about twenty years ago. Heard him tell the same joke when he spoke at Liberty University chapel.
Thank you. There is enough to be concerned about without hyperventilating over an old joke.
Hi Julie & reporter, really appreciate you sharing this. Evans made it so public, vague & shocking his exit a yr ago to his church board/leaders,etc. Left, many to speculate “no crime” but sinful? What was restoration process, program? Why be so secretive unless the plan was always to return to church business to keep those monies coming in? Maybe, now Evans like only the guest speaking engagements & once in awhile church invites to come, etc? He should have made it public “I am ready! Forgiven, & good with God!” Are the People paid off, dead, or just none of your business, his actions leave it very secret ive? Well, God commandeds us to confess sins so Satan won’t have a stronghold of the cover up as your work out your salvation with grace & mercy! Fear of the Lord, is where, we all know we all have sinned & come short of God’s glory! God is the ultimate Judge! Is Evans disqualified? Hope, we get to find out & some blood hound reporter or victim/sinner comes forward to make it known! Very shady & church is a lucrative business! His Kids have discovered how lucrative the church business is w/books, speaking engagements, etc. It would be better for Evans to confess, devulge what, who, how? Evans, should tell TRR for professional disclosure & call it done! Let the chips fall where they land!
Why? If it’s not criminal, unless you were directly sinned against, why is it YOUR business?
I am all for repentance and accountability, yet I also see churches disguise nosiness as “accountability” and gossip as “prayer requests”.
If Dr Evans confessed to those directly sinned against and disciplers who hold him accountable – and guide him through to restoration – why else do we need to know the details?
I had to also say this to myself, as I’ve found Dr. Evans’s ministry – and that of his family members – to be very helpful and impactful at various points in my life and walk with Christ. I’ve had family members attend OBCF, and when we had a significant death in the family, the way the Evans family personally showed up – rather than passing it off to “staff” (common for a church of that size) – was comforting and encouraging. When it was announced Dr Evans would be stepping down, I practically demanded to know every single detail. But as I prayed about it, the Holy Spirit checked ME on why.
I do pray those directly sinned against have received the confession, apology, and repentance necessary for their own healing. I pray Dr Evans is receiving the necessary discipling to move forward. Aside from that, not my business.
Some people think since he is a public figure and his ministry is public then he should not be afraid to disclose it publicly. The vagueness leaves everyone else room to speculate. What if it is very serious? As a supporter it helps to know.
I am a 77 year old Caucasian woman who lives in Florida. I absolutely love and adore Tony Evans. What happened Is between him and the Lord. If he ever returns to his home church I am going to get my daughter to take me to hear him. I was born and raised Southern Baptist. As a Navy brat I lived all over the U.S. Dr. Evans has cleared up so many things I didn’t understand from childhood on. We watch his archived sermons. I bought ever child of mine and grandchild a Tony Evans Study Bible. My daughter and son-in-law also. Dr. Tony Evans is a blessing. He is human and not perfect just like all of us. People with the church walls don’t all agree on doctrine much less all the different denominations that are Christian. IMO Southern Baptist have made a big mistake getting involved in the Republican Party Politics. I can’t go because of it. Still trying to find a church. I want Jesus the Son of God preached not build the wall. I pray Dr. Evans will return to the pulpit but as with Presidents and everything else I must say “GOD’s Will Be Done”. GOD DOES ANSWER PRAYER.
God has forgiven him, so who are we to judge. We have all sinned and fallen short of His glory. We should worry about our own sin and continue to pray for those, whom are just like us l ”sinner’s” I can’t wait for pastor Evans to come back into ministry, he saved my soul through preaching the gospel in it’s entirety without holding back from thinking he would lose members or anything. We don’t find to many real preacher’s these days. Everyone is watered down and caters to whoever has the most donations. So they only tell, feel good sermons, not the whole truth. The Bible was full of people being convicted by the truth of God which lead them to change their ways and serve the Lord, righteously. I will be ready to travel near or far whenever I find out where he will be ministering at next. Praise God for loving us unconditionally and forgiving us for our sins, by showing us grace and mercy
Amen! I agree whole heartedly!!!!!!!!