The grandson of Evangelist giant Billy Graham has resigned as the pastor of a South Florida mega church after he is found to be having an affair.
Tullian Tchividjian was the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Like his grandfather before him, Tchividjian has been a force in the Evangelical community.
Tchividjian was among the new generation of pastors and authors who have sought to reach a younger generation. But this mistake could greatly harm the future of his ministry.
He released a statement to The Washington Post:
“I resigned from my position at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church today due to ongoing marital issues. As many of you know, I returned from a trip a few months back and discovered that my wife was having an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, I informed our church leadership and requested a sabbatical to focus exclusively on my marriage and family. As her affair continued, we separated. Sadly and embarrassingly, I subsequently sought comfort in a friend and developed an inappropriate relationship myself. Last week I was approached by our church leaders and they asked me about my own affair. I admitted to it and it was decided that the best course of action would be for me to resign. Both my wife and I are heartbroken over our actions and we ask you to pray for us and our family that God would give us the grace we need to weather this heart wrenching storm. We are amazingly grateful for the team of men and women who are committed to walking this difficult path with us. Please pray for the healing of deep wounds and we kindly ask that you respect our privacy.”
Tchividjian's estranged wife, Kim, also put out a statement saying, "The statement reflected my husband’s opinions but not my own."
Tullian and Kim have been married since 1994, having three children during the process.
This comes at a time when the Evangelical community, especially the Reformed camp has dealt with controversy after controversy as of late. The former senior pastor, Mark Driscoll, of the Mars Hill mega church in Seattle, WA, stepped down last October over allegations of an unchecked ego, plagiarizing other's work, and using church funds to increase his books sales.
Unlike Driscoll however, Tchividjian owned up to his mistake immediately. Rob Pacienza, the executive pastor of Coral Ridge, released an official statement from the church:
“Several days ago, Pastor Tullian admitted to moral failure, acknowledging his actions disqualify him from continuing to serve as senior pastor or preach from the pulpit, and resigned — effective immediately. We are saddened by this news, but are working with and assisting Pastor Tullian and his family to help them through this difficult time, and asking people to join us in praying that God will bring restoration through this process and healing to all involved.”
H/T Reddit and The Washington Post