Tony Evans’ Legacy at Risk: Son’s Controversial Choices Spark Family Feud
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.”
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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.
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