Steve Lawson preached fire and brimstone except for himself
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on September 23, 2024.
“Megachurch pastors in Dallas are starting to drop like flies,” I wrote back on June 25 after Tony Evans and Robert Morris stepped away from ministry at prominent megachurches. Apparently “starting” was the keyword because over the next three months, the number of Dallas pastors in the news tied to scandal or controversy has grown to 16.
Although a few of these pastors still have their jobs, the list includes:
Brian and Jamie Hackney — both resigned after Josiah Anthony was accused of “inappropriate communication with women”
Byron Copeland — unclear, but was named in a 2023 civil rights lawsuit alleging he “backed (the plaintiff) into a corner of the room they were in and threatened to fire her if she didn’t shut up and stop stirring up drama”
James Morris — stepped down after his father’s resignation
Josh Howerton — repeatedly telling sexually coercive jokes and belittling women from the pulpit
Josiah Anthony — “inappropriate,” “excessively personal,” “sexual in nature” communication with women
Kemtal Glasgow — “moral issue”
Luke Cunningham — charged with sexual assault of a child
Matt Chandler — hired his father as a janitor without notifying the church of his father’s confession to sexually abusing a child
Robert Morris — sexually assaulting a 12 year old girl
Ronnie Goines — charged with indecent assault and sexual assault
Scott Crenshaw — viewing “inappropriate content” online, his second firing for this since 2016
Steve Lawson —having an “inappropriate relationship … with a woman”
Terren Dames — charged with soliciting prostitution
Tony Cammarota — “moral failure”
Tony Evans — “fell short of that standard”
In the latest story, Steve Lawson was fired from Trinity Bible Church of Dallas due to what the Trinity elders called “an inappropriate relationship that he has had with a woman.” Lawson is one of the most influential leaders in the complementarian Calvinist wing of conservative evangelicalism. He also lost his position as dean of doctor of ministry studies at The Master’s Seminary, which is led by John MacArthur. And his information is currently being wiped from other ministry websites such as The Gospel Coalition and Ligonier Ministries.