It seems that while homosexuality and marriage equality are hot button issues in conservative evangelical churches, adultery is running rampant. Billy Graham's grandson, Tullian Tchividjian, is just the latest example. The pastor of the megachurch and vociferously anti-LGBT, Coral Ridge Ministries in south Florida, resigned his position as pastor after admitting to his own infidelity. And, he is just the fourth megachurch pastor to resign (in Florida) after admitting to an affair.
From The Advocate:
In a statement released to the Washington Post, Tchividjian admitted to his own infidelity and revealed that his wife was also unfaithful, blaming her for his own "inappropriate relationship." The two have been married since 1994.
"I resigned from my position at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church today due to ongoing marital issues," Tchividjian said in the statement.
"As many of you know, I returned from a trip a few months back and discovered that my wife was having an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, I informed our church leadership and requested a sabbatical to focus exclusively on my marriage and family. As her affair continued, we separated.
"Sadly and embarrassingly, I subsequently sought comfort in a friend and developed an inappropriate relationship myself. Last week I was approached by our church leaders and they asked me about my own affair. I admitted to it and it was decided that the best course of action would be for me to resign. Both my wife and I are heartbroken over our actions and we ask you to pray for us and our family that God would give us the grace we need to weather this heart wrenching storm. We are amazingly grateful for the team of men and women who are committed to walking this difficult path with us. Please pray for the healing of deep wounds and we kindly ask that you respect our privacy."
There are clearly two sides to this story as Tchividjian's wife, Kim Tchividjian, issued her own statement to the Washington Post this morning.
From The Washington Post:
Tchividjian, 42, has been married to his wife, Kim, since 1994 and they have three children. Kim Tchividjian sent the following message to The Post Monday morning:
“The statement reflected my husband’s opinions but not my own. Please respect the privacy of my family at this time, thank you. I do thank everyone for the outpouring of love for my family as well during this difficult time and we appreciate all the prayers and support we are receiving.”
Many have considered Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) a rising star in evangelicalism, especially in Reformed circles. He is the fourth Florida megachurch pastor to resign after having affairs, including the son of megachurch pastor Joel Hunter.
The Hartford Institute for Religion Institute’s database of megachurches lists Coral Ridge as having 1,900 attendees. The church began in 1978 under Kennedy, and its weekly services were televised as the Coral Ridge Hour, reportedly reaching up to 3 million people. Kennedy was a founding board member of Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Moral Majority and developed the popular curriculum “Evangelism Explosion.”
12:01 PM PT: I've corrected the first paragraph to indicate that it's Billy Graham's grandson and not his son.