Jonathan Evans, son of the Pastor Tony Evans, who stepped down recently as the senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF), says his father did not disclose the nature of the sin to his family.
The senior Evans stepped down from ministry earlier this month following an unnamed sin he committed “a number of years ago.” He said he would undergo a healing and restoration process established by the elders.
Jonathan, also a pastor assisting his father in ministry, while delivering a sermon during the Father’s Day service, told the about 10,000 congregants that his father told his family the “exact same thing he told you. No more. No less.”
He said his father called him and asked him to preach at the service.
He said he was grateful for his father because he has been there for him and for members of the congregation.
“My dad has been there for all of my challenges. He’s been there for a lot of y’all challenges. Whether it’s counselling, preaching, radio, some of y’all’s YouTube, whatever medium has been, he’s been. So it’s an honour for me to return the favour,” the young minister said.
Jonathan also told the congregation that people have asked him several times over the past weeks how he felt since his father stepped down and that his response has been “Let me tell you, I feel like we’ve already won.”
He continued, “I feel we’re on offence, not defence. I feel like we already have victory. I feel like (God’s) word is true. I feel like he is going to finish the work that he started.
“I feel like if it’s not good yet, God’s not done yet. All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. I feel like just because it’s a shock to you, it doesn’t mean it’s a shock to him.
“I feel like we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. I don’t feel conquered. I feel like we have already won. And so I have to go, not based on just the circumstances, but based on the reality of the Saviour because (God’s) Word is true.”
Jonathan said the church will celebrate whenever the senior Evans returns.
“And so what are we going to do? We’re gonna play offence. We’re gonna go and do and be what God has called us to go and do and be. And when he returns, when my dad returns, when that time comes, we’re gonna celebrate a victory we already knew beforehand that we had,” he said.