*After nearly five decades at Oak Cliff Bible Church in South Dallas, Dr. Tony Evans recently announced his resignation from pastoral duties.
As the first Black individual to attain a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Evans co-founded Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in 1976 alongside his friend Rev. Crawford Loritts, NBC News reports. Starting with just 10 members, the church now boasts over 10,000 congregants and more than 100 ministries.
“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,” Evans said in a statement.
“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,” he continued. “I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others.”
Evans announced that Pastor Bobby Gibson and the elders will handle interim leadership.
Scroll to continue reading
The church said, “The elder board is committed to leading the church in line with the teachings of the scriptures. Dr. Evans and the elders agree that it’s the elders’ responsibility to hold any elder or pastor accountable if they don’t meet the high standards of the scripture, and to ensure that the church maintains its integrity.”
Meanwhile, in another part of Dallas, Pastor Whitney Foster, who led a small congregation without a physical place of worship, has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for defrauding three churches of their real estate, NBC News reports.
Foster, 56, was found guilty of deed fraud — illegally taking the properties of First Christian Church in Lancaster, Canada Drive Church in Dallas, and Nineveh in Dallas. According to the district attorney’s office, the total value of the stolen properties exceeded $800,000.
“Property ownership is a bedrock of our society – it provides security, a home, a place to love and welcome each other,” said Lead Prosecutor Phillip Clark.
“It also represents a very active part of our economy, both in terms of buying, selling, and renting property, as well as property taxes that support everything our government does for the citizens of Dallas County. Deed Fraud cases are not simply disputes; they are lies and fraud – they are theft – and they are deeply damaging. I’m so grateful that the jury saw the truth in this case and held the defendant to account.”
READ MORE NEWS FROM EURWEB.COM: Gizelle Bryant Reacts to Ex-husband Pastor Jamal Bryant’s Engagement
