Tony Evans Returns to Ministry After Restoration Process

Pastor Tony Evans has returned to public speaking more than a year after stepping away from Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church and his media ministry in Dallas over an undisclosed sin. He recently spoke at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa.

Evans, 75, told the audience it is the job of Christians to promote the principles of God’s kingdom on earth in every area of life.

“God’s not going to skip the church house to fix the White House,” he said. “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.”

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In June 2024, after 48 years of leading his church, Evans revealed he had fallen short of biblical standards a number of years earlier and his failure was serious enough to warrant stepping away from his ministry. Though he did not reveal what the sin was, he said he had not violated 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,” he said at the time. “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. I have shared this with my wife, my children and our church elders, and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me. 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.”

–Alan Goforth