A longtime pastor of a Dallas-area megachurch founded by radio preacher Chuck Swindoll has been fired for an unspecified “moral failure,” according to an email sent to church members.
On Tuesday, leaders of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, told members via email that Associate Pastor Tony Cammarota had been fired after “confess(ing) to church leadership of a moral failure” on Sunday, July 7.
“After much prayer seeking God’s direction, discussions as leaders, and then talking to Tony, we have terminated his employment effective immediately,” stated the email from Stonebriar Senior Pastor Jonathan Murphy and Pastor Les Fleetwood. “He is deeply remorseful, but his sin disqualifies him from serving on our staff as a pastor.”
The email was first reported by blogger Amy Smith of Watchkeep, and later confirmed by local ABC affiliate WFAA. The nature of the “moral failure” by Cammarota, a staff pastor since 2007, was not specified in the email.
“While Tony will no longer be employed with us at Stonebriar, please pray with us as we continue demonstrating the grace of Christ to him and his family,” the church statement added. “They need our help.”
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Stonebriar Community Church letter to members pic.twitter.com/u75PHOkCAS
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) July 11, 2024
The email to church members characterized the announcement as “sad and difficult news,” with Murphy and Fleetwood stating they shared it “with heavy, heavy hearts.”
Church leaders also discouraged members from discussing Cammarota’s departure, saying that any “speculation” might lead to “the Devil making it worse.”
“Please guard against giving the Devil any foothold for more damage to our church through unnecessary speech and speculation,” stated church leaders. “This is a sad day, and we don’t want the Devil making it worse through any one of us in the days ahead.”
The Roys Report reached out to Stonebriar for further comment but did not receive a response.
Stonebriar has weekly in-person attendance of 3,700 people, with another 11,000 watching online, according to the church’s website.
The dismissal of Cammarota marks the latest in a string of scandals that have rocked prominent Dalas-area evangelical churches.
Recent headlines include the resignation of Gateway Church Pastor Robert Morris following allegations of child sex abuse; Pastor Tony Evans’ leave of absence from the pulpit for unspecified “sin”; the abrupt resignation of Prestonwood Baptist Church Executive Pastor Mike Buster for unspecified reasons; and controversy at Josh Howerton’s Lakepointe Church.
Stonebriar founder, popular radio pastor Chuck Swindoll, announced last spring he would transition from senior pastor to “founding pastor” but would continue to preach often at the church. Swindoll’s daily radio program, “Insight for Living,” airs on approx. 2,000 outlets in more than 70 countries, according to his ministry.
The board of elders at Stonebriar Community Church chose Jonathan Murphy, formerly a teacher at Dallas Theological Seminary, as senior pastor. He was installed in the role on May 1.
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.
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23 Responses
“speculation” might lead to “the Devil making it worse.”?????
how about if they just tell the truth about the sin.
those church leaders sure have a way of controlling this…they say it will be sin or lead to sin and the devil will control you if you do talk about it.
talk about manipulation to get the sheep to stay quiet and not discuss it…and if one church member should dare to make a comment the other sheep will automatically label them as being led by the devil.
i have read many stories of spousal abuse and pastors sinning like this— has there ever been any data collected as to the exact numbers/percentages, etc of the type/numbers of crimes, number of victims and number of pastors etc?
I would like to see how bad it really is in the church.
Hello Susan. Hear! Hear!
I too had a similar reaction to reading this “please guard against giving the Devil any foothold for more damage to our church through unnecessary speech and speculation” phrase.
This is unfortunately all too typical as a response: The leaders give a vague explanation ( moral failure), but silence the church by guilting them with giving the devil a foothold.
The coverup is allowing the devil to rule in this.
You expose the speculation by exposing the sin. As an advocate for clergy abuse and as a pastor for 40 years, I have heard this type of response all too often…as if these churches all use the same playbook! If the failure is worthy of a firing, then expose it. The godly playbook is from Ephesians 5:11-13
“ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,”
Thank you, so much for highlighting this! My heart is filled with a little more hope today because of leaders like you speaking the truth in love and refusing to cave to the twisting of scripture and the “lording over” by silence and intimidation.
Greetings Douglas,
It seems I’m in the minority when I think using a broad term like “moral failure” appropriate. Do we need the details if the church is dealing with the situation appropriately? I commented above that there is a place for some confidentiality if for no reason other than to protect victims and perps family
This is so widely rampant, congregants believe it is Biblical and have no idea that this qualifies as spiritual abuse. This type of indoctrination is ancient and well-established.
Dear Susan,
Maybe it’s my years as a nurse but I still believe in confidentiality. To use a broad term, ‘moral failure’ is appropriate. I admit to feeling uncomfortable at the details being posted. One article here names the girl (now a teen? a woman?) being assaulted since she was 12. I’m thinking of the innocent as well as shame to perps families. I don’t think intimate detail need be shared.
Pastors and church leaders wanting to control the narrative against them is all about the money. When they say to not listen to podcasts, read articles or listen to talk radio discussing the church or Pastor, or talk among themselves, this is a further method of spiritual control and manipulation.
While it seems odd that Cammarota was fired as opposed to him resigning, only those in the room know the circumstances. Everything else is speculation.
Moral failures, sexual scandals, financial thefts, and more, do harm to the witness of the gospel in a skeptical, critical word in which we live. Very saddened each time I hear of another such failure, which IS SIN. What a mockery! Come, Spirit of holiness–shake the Church for Jesus’ sake…Amen.
The church should at least state whether the “moral failure” was consensual and whether or not it involved a child.
Edward Bernay’s would be proud of the churches public relations stand on hiding sin in their midst. I’m so over these people!
The way in which the church can so easily control its congregants through the threat of demonic possession or interference is so sinister, it makes my stomach turn. NO ONE threatens Christians with the devil more than Christians. The church spreads demonic doctrine; giving demons power to control, manipulate and harm a child of God which demonstrates a belief that satanic power is more powerful than God. It’s a bald faced lie and has caused so much damage to the minds within the body of Christ that it is accepted and normalized in the majority of churches. Speaking the truth is never a sin and any attempts to silence it will be reckoned with.
“Speaking the truth is never a sin and any attempts to silence it will be reckoned with.”
100% agree with you.
Speaking the truth that you know is necessary to expose evil. No one should ever be discouraged or prevented from doing that.
There is a line though, between truth and speculation, in the category of “loose talk” – scripture has plenty to say about that.
Unnecessary speech and speculation DO bring more harm and since we know that isn’t from God. Only the enemy wants more harm.
So again, people who are “in the know” should speak to what they know is the truth. People who insert their own suppositions and conjectures should heed the warnings not from the elders in this case, but from scripture.
Tricia, stop trying to silence people. You have no idea what individuals have gone through and their knowledge base on the subject they’re speaking on. Stop judging because you want to be found spotless.
Owww ! That’s harsh Sarah, suggesting Tricia is being judgmental??!! and wanting to be spotless? Speculation is gossip and we are warned in James 3rd chapter “that an unbridled tongue is like a bush fire destroying everything in its path”.
I can’t help but think a cord is being struck here? I truly hope you haven’t been hurt as well.
So many Christians attribute to the Devil Godlike characteristics such as omnipresence and omniscience. The Devil is NOT omnipresent. He can’t be over here causing trouble while he’s somewhere else. The other option then is demonic activity. Do they want to attribute demonic activity to Christians? God forbid. Are the churches full of unconverted people who are the minions of demons? Why can’t people take responsibility for their sins? All of this denies the reality of the New Birth and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
I see your point and agree Christians need to stop blaming the devil on any and everything. Quite alright, satan’s power, knowledge and presence is only limited to what YHVH permits. However……………….
Remember tho, 1/3rd of angels (=demons) were cast out of heaven along with satan when he arrogantly rebelled against YHVH. (Revelation 12:4-9; Isa 14:12; Eze 28:12-19, John 8:44).
Therefore, by deductive reasoning:
Ha-satan must have legions of angels (demonic spirits, principalities, powers) working for him who can indeed be many places at any one time. Thus, it is not really far fetched that UN-holy spirits can indeed wreak havoc various places at a given point in time.
Plus, who really knows, satan may still be accumulating demons surpassing the original 1/3rd cast out to the extent that he most likely has billions of them on assignment all over the world. How? I suspect, angels who misbehave are still being cast out today. Angels do possess free choice, you know.
Something to cogitate on. The deep things of the spiritual realm, and of the supernatural. Not so black and white as we might imagine.
I don’t know Tony Camerota and I have no connection to his church. I also don’t have any problem with a church telling gossip seekers from without that the details of this situation are quite frankly none of our business. And there is certainly nothing wrong with instructing those in the middle of the situation to avoid spreading half-truths, no truths, partial truths, information that they heard from a friend or neighbor with inquiring minds who “just want to know.” There are people in the inner-circle of this situation who did nothing wrong and deserve some privacy. Why is it in everyone here’s best interest to have all the details? It’s not. That’s just the fact of the matter. Not everything is a cover up.
I share the frustration of the damage caused to the body of Christ and I feel deeply for the congregants and most certainly any people victimized if thats the case… And I’m guessing the facts will come out at some point. It would just be nice to see people commenting as ready to pounce with a thoughtful prayer as they are with harsh, sharp keystrokes. (I’ll duck behind the glass now, ready to receive my comeuppance.)
Michael, what they’re doing is damage control, not shepherding the flock. Sure, people don’t need to know sorrid details, but a tactful acknowledgement of reasons for the swift action is appropriate. It was clearly serious enough to take decisive action, and people who were under his leadership deserve to know at least what genre of wrong was done. Marital affair with someone outside of the congregation? that’s all the detail needed. But if it’s a marital affair with someone INSIDE the congregation, that clergy abuse, and needs to be investigated, and also publicly known so other victims can come forward. Same with child sexual abuse. The church deserves to know if it’s a “sin” issue or a crime issue, and how the leadership will follow up. It is NOT gossip or slander to want that. And it creates un-safety to withhold it.
I appreciate your thoughtful response. I don’t have enough information from the article nor the situation itself to be as certain as you are of their motives. I do agree that many churches try to cover their own tails versus trying to do what genuinely right in these situations. Having considered your response I agree that communicating “what genre of wrong” could be helpful if its a legal matter. And I also agree that legal issues need to be publicly made known.
This was my college/career pastor when I lived in Frisco. I’m sad to see this.