Stonebriar Community Church fires associate pastor for undisclosed ‘moral failure’
Stonebriar Community Church, a non-denominational megachurch in Frisco, Texas, that attracts around 3,000 weekly attendees and thousands more online, has fired its longtime associate pastor of equipping, Tony Cammarota, after he confessed to an undisclosed "moral failure" that disqualifies him from ministry.
In an email sent to congregants and shared on X by survivor advocate and blogger Amy Smith, church leaders said they had to fire Cammarota from the church Chuck Swindoll helped found in 1998 even though he is "deeply remorseful" in his confession about his sin.
"On Sunday afternoon July 7th, Pastor Tony Cammarota confessed to church leadership of a moral failure. He is deeply remorseful, but his sin disqualifies him from serving on our staff as a pastor," the church said.
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"After much prayer seeking God's direction, discussions as leaders, and then talking to Tony we have terminated his employment effective immediately. While Tony will no longer be employed with us at Stonbriar, please pray with us as we continue demonstrating the grace of Christ to him and his family. They need our help," the church added.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Cammarota served in his role at the church for 17 years and 7 months before his firing. He led Sunday fellowships and community groups and trained more than 100 volunteers weekly.
"With a strong people-first approach, I have collaborated with others to create the purpose, strategy, and goals for these ministries. I have recruited new and seasoned leaders, developed training curriculum for volunteer leaders, trained leaders of groups, counseled those needing care, taught classes, coached teachers to teach more effectively, provided high-level continuing education opportunities, and collaborated with various departments toward organizational goals," he wrote.
Church leaders asked congregants to avoid speculation about Cammarota's firing because they did not "want the Devil making it worse."
"Please guard against giving the Devil any foothold for more damage to our church through unnecessary speech and speculation," church leaders said. "This is a sad day, and we don't want the Devil making it worse through any one of us in the days ahead."
Just last month, fellow Texas megachurch leader Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas stepped away from his pastoral duties for a season of restoration in response to an undisclosed sin.
Though Evans, who has pastored the church for 48 years, did not provide specific details on why he was stepping away, he confessed in a written statement that though he did not commit any crimes, he fell short of the biblical standards espoused by his ministry.
"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."
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