Tullian Tchividjian, a grandson of Billy Graham, has resigned from his post as a senior pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian, a mega-church in south Florida, after both he and his wife had admitted to having extra-marital affairs.
After learning several months ago that his wife was having an affair, Tchividjian requested a sabbatical from the church 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,” he told the Washington Post in a statement.
Tchividjian had been considered a rising star in evangelical churches. In the last several years, three other leaders of Florida mega-churches have resigned after admitting affairs.
Welcome to the valley of the shadow of death...thank God grace reigns here.
— Tullian Tchividjian (@PastorTullian) June 21, 2015
“Several days ago, Pastor Tullian admitted to moral failure, acknowledging his actions disqualify him from continuing to serve as senior pastor or preach from the pulpit, and resigned – effective immediately,” Rob Pacienza, executive pastor of Coral Ridge, said in a statement.
Tchividjian and his wife, Kim, have been married for more than 20 years and have three children.
Tchividjian’s grandfather, Billy Graham, now 96 years old, has been a celebrity pastor since the 1940s. He led national memorials after the September 11 and Oklahoma city attacks, and retired 10 years ago. He and his wife have five children and 19 grandchildren, many of whom followed Graham into ministry.
