Trinity Bible Church elders stress 'discipline' following Steve Lawson's removal: 'A God of order’
A Dallas church best known for the preaching of former Pastor Steven Lawson continues to grapple with fallout over Lawson's alleged romantic relationship with a reportedly younger woman.
Elder Mark Becker addressed the congregation at Trinity Bible Church on Sunday, just days after the 73-year-old Lawson was removed from ministry over an alleged "inappropriate relationship" with an unidentified woman.
Acknowledging what he called a "difficult week," Becker said that while a number of questions remain about Lawson's alleged conduct and subsequent removal, the congregation should focus on "how this church, this local body, is going to move forward together."
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"It has been a difficult week for all of us. I know that it has been a very emotional week in many ways; it's been sobering, and a lot has happened," he said. "There have been many questions, and I think there will continue to be many questions. Speaking to you as an elder right now, the questions we need to focus on are how this church, this local body, is going to move forward together. I think those are the important questions we should be considering."
Becker pointed to what he said as the foundation of Trinity Bible Church.
"When this church was founded in January of 2018, we were charged with three things to be a New Testament church. The first was that we had to preach God's word faithfully," said Becker. "We've done that from the very beginning, preaching verse by verse to the best of our ability, with different men filling the pulpit week after week, including some of the elders. The Holy Spirit has woven these sermons together to bless all of us, and we will continue to do that as we move forward.
In addition to observing the ordinances of baptism and communion, Becker said it's essential for Trinity Bible to "practice church discipline."
"God is a God of order and holiness, and if you have been called, your charge and my charge is to be holy," he added.
Becker added that "just like parents discipline their children out of love and concern for their well-being, the Lord disciplines His children because He loves them and wants what is best for them," and that disciplinary acts are God's ways of "preparing us to be with him in Heaven."
He reminded church members they shouldn't be attending church solely for any one man's preaching.
"If you came this morning to see a man, I hope that man is the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the head of His church, and I could name all the elders and those who have preached, but ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ is the head of this church," he said.
Lawson, who holds a master of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and a doctor of ministry from Reformed Theological Seminary, was removed from the leadership page of the church's website as recently as Sept. 20.
Lawson and his wife, Anne, have been married for over 40 years. They have four adult children.
Lawson's resignation is the latest in what's been a year of scandal for pastors in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
In June, Tony Evans, pastor of the 11,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church in Dallas, stepped down from his pastoral duties due to an undisclosed sin.
Days later, Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church based in Southlake, resigned as lead pastor following allegations of sexual misconduct decades ago involving a minor. Morris founded the congregation in 2000.
Over the summer, Lead Pastor Josiah Anthony of Cross Timbers Church resigned over sexual messaging with women and other inappropriate behavior, which sparked a chain of resignations from other Cross Timbers leaders.
