Another pastor of a large church in North Texas has stepped down due to “inappropriate” conduct, without being specific about the concerns.
Josiah Anthony / Video screenshot via WFAA
On Sunday, July 28, Cross Timbers Church in Argyle, about 30 miles north of Fort Worth, announced that its lead pastor Josiah Anthony would resign due to “inappropriate and hurtful” actions, WFAA reported.
The church clarified on Monday that the conduct “does not include any children, physical or sexual interactions or any illegal activity to our knowledge.”
Apparently, the church elders asked Anthony to resign and he agreed.
He has been the senior pastor of Cross Timbers Church since March 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before taking the senior leadership position, Anthony served as an executive pastor and campus pastor.
During the service, Cross Timbers elder John Chalk read a statement about Anthony’s resignation.
“Josiah has been in a prolonged and sustained season of struggle with his emotional and mental health which has been very painful for him and those around him,” Chalk said. “Throughout this struggle, some of Josiah’s decisions and actions were inappropriate and hurtful to current and former members of the [Cross Timbers] family and staff.”
Byron Copeland will serve as interim lead pastor, Chalk reportedly announced to the congregation. Before taking a position of executive pastor at Cross Timbers, Copeland worked at nearby Gateway Church, according to his LinkedIn profile.
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Gateway Church founding pastor Robert Morris resigned earlier this summer after allegations that he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. “Pastor Robert’s sin and his lack of transparency to the church’s elders and leadership has disqualified him from continuing in his role as senior pastor at Gateway Church and as leader of Pastor Robert Morris Ministries,” said a letter from the Gateway elders.
On July 7, Stonebriar Community Church, founded by Chuck Swindoll, dismissed former Associate Pastor Tony Cammarota, who “confessed to church leadership of a moral failure” according to an 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. Stonebriar did not provide details of the moral failure.
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.”
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