FALL FROM GRACE: Tony Evans’ Son Faces Public Backlash Over Shocking Allegations

FALL FROM GRACE: Tony Evans’ Son Faces Public Backlash Over Shocking Allegations

Evangelical pastor and radio host Tony Evans cited an unnamed “sin” as he stepped down as senior pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, the latest controversy for high-profile pastors in America.

Evans will be “temporarily stepping away from his senior pastor’s duties,” Shari L. Carroll, a spokesperson for the church, said in a Friday email to USA TODAY. On Sunday, the pastor said in a statement on the church’s website that he has “committed no crime,” but “did not use righteous judgment in actions.”

It’s a familiar pattern in American Christianity – popular pastors spread their faith, invite scrutiny and often face fallout for their indiscretions, according to Deborah Whitehead, a religious studies professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“One of the perils of celebrity is that you have this high profile status and a lot of the fame and fortune that comes with that and as well as additional publicity for your mistakes,” Whitehead said. “It can definitely generate controversy around the faith.”

Fraud, private jets and a Lamborghini:10 televangelists who have faced controversy

Pastors have a long history of celebrity in the United States – a trend that can be seen as early as the 1700s. That’s when preacher George Whitefield became what some historians consider “America’s first celebrity,” Whitehead said.

In the 1980’s and decades following, there was a surge of televangelist pastors who were popular until they faced controversy. Many evangelical pastors were involved in scandal at the time, including disgraced pastors Jimmy Swaggart and Ted Haggard.

“There’s a long history there of seeing these very public figures be hypocritical in some respects and have to go through these very public scandals and sometimes imprisonment,” Whitehead said. “It’s had an impact on the way Christianity and especially Evangelical Protestantism is viewed – but also religion more broadly as an object of potential suspicion.”

What happened with Tony Evans?

Evans founded Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas in 1976, which has grown from 10 people in a home to over 10,000 members.

So has Evans’s fame. Evans’ radio program, “The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans,” airs on more than 1,000 stations worldwide. He’s well known for serving as the chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Mavericks. And he’s written several faith-based books.