Dallas Pastor Steve Lawson removed from ministry over 'inappropriate relationship with a woman'
A Texas pastor known for his fiery preaching and frequent appearances alongside John MacArthur has been removed from ministry after an alleged "inappropriate relationship" with an unidentified woman.
Steve Lawson, the 73-year-old lead preacher at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas and president of OnePassion Ministries, informed the church's elders about the relationship, according to a statement released by the church.
"The elders have met with Steve and will continue to come alongside him and pray for him with the ultimate goal of his personal repentance," the statement reads. "Steve will no longer be compensated by Trinity Bible Church of Dallas."
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"In light of this, may we be reminded that we are ALL sinners, and Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners — and Christ remains Head of His Church, which is bigger than any fallen man," the statement adds. "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."
Lawson holds a master of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and a doctor of ministry from Reformed Theological Seminary. His information has been removed from the leadership page of the church's website.
Lawson also resigned from "all his duties at OnePassion Ministries," according to a statement posted on the OnePassion website that describes his actions as "a sin that has disqualified him from ministry."
"Steve 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," the statement read. "We are saddened for the glory of Christ in this matter. The truth of the gospel will continue [to] 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."
The statement concluded with 1 Peter 5:8: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
Lawson has dedicated more than 40 years to ministry and is a prominent figure in the Reformed/Calvinist Evangelicalism movement.
He formerly served as a teaching fellow at Ligonier Ministries and as the dean of Doctor of Ministry Studies at The Master's Seminary but has since been removed from both websites.
A frequent speaker with MacArthur at TMS events, Lawson often appeared in front of MacArthur's congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, for The Sheperds Conference and other events.
His page on the Grace Community Church website remained active as of Friday.
Additionally, Lawson has written over 30 books, including It Will Cost You Everything: What it Takes to Follow Jesus and Foundations of Grace: A Long Line of Godly Men.
Lawson has been married to his wife, Anne, 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 sin."
Days later, Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church based in Southlake, resigned as lead pastor following allegations of sexual misconduct. 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.
Earlier this month, Scott Crenshaw, the senior pastor of Lake Country Church in Fort Worth, Texas, was fired and accused of looking at "inappropriate images," an allegation which Crenshaw called "absolutely baseless."
It's the second such allegation against Crenshaw since 2016, when, while recovering from cancer and serving as senior pastor of the multi-campus New River Church in Texas, he was removed from his post for "viewing inappropriate images" on his computer while he was at work.
