Steven Lawson Removed from Ministry for ‘Inappropriate Relationship’
Pastor, author, and teacher has associations with The Master’s Seminary, Ligonier Ministries
Thursday evening, Trinity Bible Church in Dallas, Texas, announced its pastor, Steven J. Lawson, has been indefinitely removed from his position due to an “inappropriate relationship” with a woman.
“The elders at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas regretfully announce that effective immediately, Steven J. Lawson has been removed indefinitely from all ministry activities at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas,” a statement on the church’s website reads.
The statement goes on to say that “several days ago,” Lawson informed the church elders of the relationship.
Lawson, 73, has served as a pastor for over 40 years, previously leading churches in Arkansas and Alabama before joining Trinity Bible Church in 2018. Lawson is also the founder of OnePassion Ministries, executive editor of Expositor Magazine (a ministry of OnePassion), and author of 33 books.
In his last sermon at Trinity on Sunday, Sept. 15, “Defining True Greatness,” Lawson preached: “You should not judge a man by his one weak moment. You need to look at the whole body of his work. You need to look at his whole message. You need to look at his whole ministry and don’t judge him on one hiccup that happens.”
The sermon stemmed from Luke 7:24–30, a passage where Jesus addresses the crowd about John the Baptist, highlighting that John is not a man of luxury or someone easily swayed, but rather a prophet with a unique mission. The people who had accepted John’s baptism recognized God’s righteousness, while the Pharisees, who rejected it, missed God’s purpose for them.
“The fact is, John is what every preacher should be. John is fiercely dedicated to the truth. He is doctrinally rigid. He is theologically unbending and unyielding, and he is willing to suffer for what he believes and preaches. It’s just that the word of mouth between one person to another person was having the effect of eroding everything that John really was.”
Reportedly, Lawson reported his misconduct sometime at the beginning of the following week.
In Trinity’s statement, the elders expressed their ongoing commitment to pray for Lawson’s repentance and confirmed he will no longer receive compensation from the church.
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“The Lord was building Trinity Bible Church of Dallas well before Steve became our Lead Preacher, and He will continue to build this church long after Steve Lawson, or any other man for that matter,” the statement concluded. “We would ask for your prayers for the elders, for our Body, and for Steve and his family. Let us always be mindful of the words of 1 Corinthians 10:12, ‘Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.’”
As of Thursday evening, Lawson’s bio on the OnePassion website listed him as the global host of The Institute for Expository Preaching, as well as a teaching fellow and board member for Ligonier Ministries. “Additionally, he is a Professor of Preaching and oversees the Doctor of Ministry program at The Master’s Seminary (TMS), where he also sits on the board,” the bio read.
However, since the revelation of Lawson’s adultery, nearly all of the ministries Lawson is connected with have released him from duty.
TMS has removed Lawson from the faculty list, along with his articles.
H.B. Charles Jr. took Lawson’s place during the opening session of TMS’ Men of the Word Conference on Wednesday evening, where Lawson was scheduled to deliver the sermon on opening night.
Ligonier has removed Lawson as a teaching fellow and withdrawn his collection of writings and books.
The Shepherds Conference, a ministry of John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church, no longer lists Lawson as a speaker for its 2025 event.
Up until Thursday (Sept. 19), OnePassion had continued to host Lawson’s Bible studies. But as of Friday morning (Sept. 20), OnePassion Ministries released a statement saying Lawson had resigned.
“The board of OnePassion Ministries mournfully announces that just recently Steven J. Lawson confessed to the board that he has had an inappropriate relationship with a woman, a sin that has disqualified him from ministry. In response, Steve has resigned from all his duties at OnePassion Ministries. We have canceled all scheduled events and engagements.”
The statement goes on to say that Lawson “has confessed and regrets the damage he has caused to his family, the church, the reputation of OnePassion Ministries and most of all Jesus Christ. We are saddened for the glory of Christ in this matter. The truth of the gospel will continue go out to the lost world as it is empowered by the Holy Spirit and not by men. It is a reminder that we have been warned of the craftiness of the enemy. ‘Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).’”
No additional information about the “inappropriate relationship” has been provided at this time.
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