Stonebriar Church Associate Pastor Removed for ‘Moral Failure’

The Dallas-area megachurch was founded by Chuck Swindoll.

Stonebriar Community Church, a Dallas-area megachurch that was founded in 1998 by Chuck Swindoll, told its congregation via email this week that it dismissed one of its associate pastors for a “moral failure.”

Stonebriar Community Church / Video screengrab

Former Associate Pastor Tony Cammarota “confessed to church leadership of a moral failure” on July 7, read the email obtained by the Dallas Morning News.

“He is deeply remorseful but his sin disqualifies him from serving on our staff as a pastor,” it added.

The church did not provide details of the moral failure, nor did it respond to several Morning News’ requests for comment.

The church’s email asked recipients not to speculate about the nature of Cammarota’s moral failure. “And please guard against giving the Devil any foothold for more damage to our church through unnecessary speech and speculation,” it reportedly read. “This is a sad day and we don’t want the Devil making it worse through any one of us in the days ahead.”

Cammarota worked at Stonebriar for 17 years as the associate pastor of equipping, according to his LinkedIn profile.

On May 1, Swindoll stepped down from leading Stonebriar Community Church. He will continue preaching, but Jonathan Murphy is now senior pastor. The church has membership of about 3,700 and a significant online following.

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Swindoll was also president of Dallas Theological Seminary from 1994-2001.

In June, well-known Dallas megachurch pastor Tony Evans stepped away from leading Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship due to “sin” he committed years ago. Evans, 74, was not specific about his actions but said they were not criminal. He will be “submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders.”

Robert Morris, pastor of Dallas-area Gateway Church, one of the largest church networks in the country, resigned in June after news broke that he had abused Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s, starting when she was 12 years old.

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