Ministry axes Tony Evans’ Mexican Riviera cruise as speculation abounds about undisclosed sin
Days after Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church in Dallas, Texas, announced that its leader, Pastor Tony Evans, was temporarily stepping away from the pulpit due to an undisclosed sin, his Bible teaching ministry, The Urban Alternative, has canceled a Mexican Riviera cruise he was set to headline this fall.
Though she did not respond to questions from The Christian Post about the cruise and Evans’ undisclosed sin, Heather Hair, a spokesperson for The Urban Alternative, told the Roys Report that they decided it was “best” to cancel the cruise after Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship’s announcement.
“Following the announcement that Dr. Tony Evans will be stepping away from his senior pastoral duties at OCBF (Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas), and as he pursues the healing and restoration process established by the elders, The Urban Alternative has decided it would be best to cancel the Mexican Riviera Cruise with Tony Evans,” Hair said.
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A representative of The Urban Alternative, founded over 40 years ago by Evans, had previously told CP that the cruise, which was set for Nov. 9–16, would still go on even after Evans stepped away from the helm of his church on Sunday.
An agent with Inspiration Travel, which was administering the cruise that featured suites costing up to nearly $4,000 per traveler, also told CP on Tuesday that the cruise would still go on because The Urban Alternative is a separate entity from Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. The agent noted that The Urban Alternative had a contractual obligation to go on with the cruise.
Both Inspiration Travel and The Urban Alternative have now removed the cruise from their websites.
In a written statement on Sunday, Evans confessed that though he did not commit any crimes, he fell short of the biblical standards espoused by his ministry "a number of years ago," suggesting it was "due to sin."
"The foundation of our ministry has always been our commitment to the Word of God as the absolute supreme standard of truth to which we are to conform our lives. When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God," Evans stated.
"A number of years ago, I fell short of that standard. I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others. I have shared this with my wife, my children, and our church elders, and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me," he added. "While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgment in my actions. In light of this, I am stepping away from my pastoral duties and am submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders."
The 74-year-old Evangelical icon is the first black American to earn a doctorate in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also the first African American to write and publish a full Bible commentary and study Bible.
Evans stepped down from his pulpit just months after he announced in December 2023 that he had wedded Carla Crummie in a "private ceremony surrounded by family and close friends." His remarriage came four years after the death of his first wife, Lois, on Dec. 30, 2019. Carla’s first husband, Robert Crummie Sr., died on Jan. 2, 2020, on his way to Lois’ funeral, according to Evans.
Evans was married to his first wife for 49 years before she died of biliary cancer at age 70. In a 2020 interview with The Christian Post, Evans said, "There's no part of my life and ministry where her footprints aren't felt."
In the wake of Evans’ sin announcement and the cancelation of the cruise, some have speculated online about the nature of his sin.
Pastor Ray Curry Jr., founder of C.H.U.R.C.H. UNLIMITED argued on TikTok, that Evans’ sin announcement smacked more like a confession of convenience rather than one of true repentance.
“First things first, Pastor Evans, your sin wasn’t sin when you did it? It’s only sin now a few years later? Now did it just become sin now or it’s the leak about to happen now?” Curry asked.
Curry said although he respects Evans for stepping away from his pulpit, he would have commended him if he had confessed his sin when it first happened.
“Now it just feels like you’re trying to have some type of salvaging of your legacy even though you know somethings about to come out,” he added.
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