Dr. Tony Evans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Anthony Tyrone Evans September 10, 1949 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, minister |
| Spouse | Lois Irene Evans (m. 1970;died 2019)Carla Crummie (m. 2023) |
| Children |
|
Anthony Tyrone "Tony" Evans Sr. (born September 10, 1949) is an American evangelical pastor, speaker, author, and widely syndicated radio and television broadcaster. Between 1976 and 2024, Evans served as senior pastor at the over-9,500-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas.
In 1973, at the age of 24, Tony Evans was contacted by a radio show producer from Houston (KHCB). This man had contacted Dallas Theological Seminary, where Tony was a junior in the Th.M. program, asking for great preaching content to put on his program for free. One of Tony’s professors recommended him. Thus began the public broadcasting of Dr. Tony Evans. Recorded in a tiny studio on the seminary campus, Tony spent the next few years faithfully preaching into a microphone for a crowd unseen in Houston.
Nearly a decade later, The Urban Alternative was formed in 1981 when requests for Dr. Evans’ sermons came in so frequently from his Houston and Dallas radio broadcasts that Mrs. Lois Evans, co-founder of the ministry, began fulfilling orders. Mrs. Evans used her business skills to organize, develop and expand the outreach and growth of the ministry.
In 1986, Tony was invited to preach at the National Religious Broadcasters annual conference. This drew enormous attention and encouragement to expand the ministry.
Not too long after that appearance at NRB, radio stations began to air Dr. Evans’ program. Under the leadership of Dr. Lois Evans, Senior Vice-President of TUA, the radio ministry grew nationally and internationally. The reach of Tony’s preaching now spans the world, with his broadcasts airing on over 1,400 radio outlets and in over 130 countries, reaching millions each week.
Evans earned a BA at Carver College in 1972, a Th.M. in 1976, and a Th.D. at Dallas Theological Seminary in 1982. [1]
Evans founded the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, in 1976 with 10 members meeting at his home. [1] [2] He also founded The Urban Alternative, a national organization that seeks to restore hope and transform lives through the proclamation and the application of the Word of God. The Urban Alternative radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard over 1,400 outlets daily throughout the U.S. and in over 130 countries worldwide.
Evans has served as chaplain for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and is a former NBA chaplain with the Dallas Mavericks.
He taught evangelism, homiletics, and black church studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, and serves on its Board of Incorporate Members. [3]
Evans was named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. [4]
In 2017, Evans launched the Tony Evans Training Center, an online learning platform providing seminary-style courses to equip Christian leaders who cannot attend a seminary.
Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. He is also the author of over 100 books, including Oneness Embraced, The Kingdom Agenda, Kingdom Man, The Tony Evans Study Bible, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary.
In June 2024, Evans resigned as senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship due to an unnamed sin he committed many years ago. [5]
Evans was married to Lois Irene Evans until her death in 2019. Their marriage produced four children: Chrystal, Priscilla, [6] Anthony Jr., and Jonathan. They also have 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
His oldest child, Chrystal Hurst, is a worship leader, Christian speaker, and writer. She co-authored the book Kingdom Woman with her father. [7] She has also written books titled She's Still There and Show Up For Your Life.
His daughter Priscilla Shirer is a New York Times Best-Selling Author, Christian speaker, and founder of Going Beyond Ministries. [8]
His son Anthony Jr. is a contemporary-Christian musical artist. He has collaborated with Grammy Award-winning singer Kirk Franklin and was a contestant on season two of The Voice. [9]
Evans' son Jonathan was a professional football player in the National Football League. He played fullback for the Buffalo Bills, the Washington Redskins, and the Dallas Cowboys. Jonathan is the current chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys. [10]
Evans is a registered Republican in Texas. In 2012 he publicly criticized President Barack Obama for his support of same-sex marriage.
In September 2023, Dr. Evans, along with his children, announced his engagement to Dr. Carla Crummie. Later that year, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship formally announced Tony and Carla Evans' marriage. [11]
In June 2024, Dr. Evans announced he was stepping back from his ministry due to sin he committed years ago. [5] The announcement was made on the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church website and during their usual Sunday services.
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) is an evangelical seminary with its main campus in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and three other campuses in Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida. According to the Association of Theological Schools, Gordon-Conwell ranks as one of the largest evangelical seminaries in North America in terms of total number of full-time students enrolled.
Charles Rozell Swindoll is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, headquartered in Frisco, Texas, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages. He is currently the Founding Pastor at Stonebriar Community Church, in Frisco, Texas, and also sits on their elder board.
Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system of dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as extension sites in Atlanta, Austin, San Antonio, Nashville, Northwest Arkansas, Europe, and Guatemala, and a multilingual online education program. DTS is the largest non-denominational seminary accredited by the Association of Theological Schools.
John Vernon McGee was an American ordained Presbyterian minister, pastor, Bible teacher, theologian, and radio minister.
John Dwight Pentecost was an American Christian theologian, best known for his book Things to Come.
Howard George Hendricks was a longtime professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and speaker for Promise Keepers. Upon his graduation from Dallas, Hendricks accepted the pastorate at Calvary Independent Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, Texas. An opening on the seminary staff led Hendricks to begin teaching twice per week in the fall of 1951. After one year on staff, Hendricks resigned his post to pursue a doctorate at Yale University. However, the founder and president of Dallas Theological Seminary, Lewis Sperry Chafer, died and the new president, John Walvoord, asked Hendricks to delay his doctorate and return to Dallas as a teacher.
Michael Easley is the president and host of "Michael Easley inContext" a ministry designed to help listeners and readers "understand God's word and apply it to your life". He was the former president of the Moody Bible Institute (MBI) in Chicago, Illinois. He has served in churches in Texas, Northern VA/ Washington, DC, and Middle Tennessee.
Mariano Di Gangi was a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Bryan Chapell is an American pastor and theologian who currently serves as the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America. He was previously the senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois. Prior to that he was president and chancellor of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri for twenty years. Chapell is also an author, lecturer, and conference speaker specializing in homiletics. He served as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in America in 2014.
Warren Wendall Wiersbe was an American Christian clergyman, Bible teacher, conference speaker and a prolific writer of Christian literature and theological works. Wiersbe is perhaps best known for his series of 50 books in the "BE" series: Be Real, Be Rich, Be Obedient, Be Mature, Be Joyful, etc., and other theological works. He pastored the Moody Church in Chicago (1971–1978) and succeeded Theodore Epp as director of the Back to the Bible radio ministry.
Priscilla Shirer is an American author, motivational speaker, actress, and Christian media personality, and evangelist. Her father is Dallas mega-church pastor Tony Evans and her brothers are motivational speaker and chaplain Jonathan Evans and musician Anthony Evans.
Paul P. Enns is an evangelical Christian pastor, biblical scholar and writer who serves as a full-time minister at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, and as adjunct professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is notable as one of the translators of the updated New American Standard Bible and as the author of The Moody Handbook of Theology.
George W. Dollar (1917–2006) was a prominent preacher, teacher and author in Independent Fundamental Baptist circles. He is most famous as of co-founder of the Southwide Baptist Fellowship, author of 3 books including A History of Fundamentalism in America and a militant defender of his faith.
Michael Anthony Milton is an American Presbyterian minister, theologian, educator, pastor, broadcaster, author, musician and retired U.S. Army Chaplain (Colonel). Initially a pastoral intern under D. James Kennedy, Milton became President and Senior Fellow of the D. James Kennedy Institute of Reformed Leadership. Milton succeeded Kennedy as the Teaching Pastor on the nationally televised sermon broadcast Truths That Transform (2013–2015). He has dual credentials in the Presbyterian Church in America and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and is also credentialed through the Presbyterian and Reformed Commission on Chaplains. Milton was elected to the James Ragsdale Chair of Missions and Evangelism at Erskine Theological Seminary in June 2015. He was named Provost of the Seminary in 2019. In 2022 Milton was named Distinguished Professor of Missions and Evangelism.
Anthony Tyrone Evans Jr. is an American Christian singer and songwriter. Evans has made six studio albums during his career as a musician: Even More in 2004 with Epic Records, Letting Go in 2006 with Integrity Music, The Bridge in 2006 with EMI Gospel, Undisguised in 2010 with INO Records, Home in 2011 with Fair Trade Services, and Real Life/Real Worship in 2014 with Fair Trade Services. In 2018, Evans played the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.
Samuel Lewis Johnson Jr., was an American conservative evangelical pastor and theologian, was for many years a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. Johnson was a moderate dispensationalist and a Five-point Calvinist in his soteriology. He was a Biblical scholar and theologian of "rare abilities" and of international renown.
Carver College is a private Bible college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
Ernest T. Campbell was an American Presbyterian clergyman, theologian, and writer. He is most remembered as senior minister of New York City's prominent Riverside Church from 1968 to 1976. A native of New York City, Campbell previously served as minister at churches in Pennsylvania and the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan. After resigning from Riverside Church, he lectured at various seminaries including his alma mater, Princeton Theological Seminary, and was Professor of Homiletics at Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary between 1982 and 1989.
