Here’s a quick rundown of the top stories on mycharisma.com:
Tony Evans’ Son on Controversy: ‘We Already Have Victory’
Tony Evans’ son, Jonathan Evans, took to the pulpit at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship for a special Father’s Day message where he expressed his feelings amid his father’s step away from ministry.
“People have been asking me all week, ‘How do you feel?’ Let me tell you, I feel like we’ve already won,” Evans says.
“I feel like we’re on offense, not defense. I feel like we already have victory. I feel like His Word is true. I feel like He’s going to finish the work that He started. I feel like if it’s not good yet, God’s not done yet,” he continues.
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When Church Leaders Fail, How Do We Respond?
It was sad enough when leaders of the International House of Prayer cut ties with founder Mike Bickle last December because of a sexual scandal involving Bickle and at least two women. Then on June 9 of this year, veteran pastor Tony Evans of 10,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, stepped down from his pulpit, citing an unnamed past sin as the reason for his abrupt resignation.
And just a few days later, allegations surfaced about Robert Morris, senior pastor of 25,000-member Gateway Church, also in Dallas. An Oklahoma woman, Cindy Clemishire, went public with allegations that Morris abused her sexually over a four-year span in the 1980s. She says she was only 12 when the abuse began.
Morris released a statement admitting that he was “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady,” but he didn’t address the fact that Clemishire was a minor when the alleged abuse occurred. “It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,” Morris said, noting that the behavior “happened on several occasions over the next few years.”
‘I’m Heartbroken’: Ex-Pastor at Gateway Church Responds to Robert Morris Scandal
A former pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, is speaking out in the wake of the Robert Morris scandal to share what he believes are helpful steps to address and prevent abuse in Christian circles.
Bob Hamp served as executive pastor of pastoral care at Gateway Church from 2005 to 2014, developing the house of worship’s Freedom Ministry, a component of the church’s outreach that helps individuals “find freedom from bondage in their life,” according to Gateway’s website.
Hamp told CBN News the allegations that Morris molested a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s were not known to him before hearing accuser Cindy Clemishire’s harrowing account. Hamp said he joined the church well after these purported events took place and had no involvement. He now runs Think Differently Academy, helping people heal and find spiritual fulfillment in Christ.
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