Tony Evans is an American evangelical pastor, author, and speaker who served as the senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, from 1976 to 2024. He is the founder of The Urban Alternative, a national ministry that broadcasts his daily radio program, “The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans,” on over 1,400 stations across the U.S. and in more than 130 countries. Evans is the first African American to earn a Doctor of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and the first to publish a full-Bible commentary and study Bible. He has authored over 100 books, including “Kingdom Man,” “The Tony Evans Study Bible,” and “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary”.
- Born on September 10, 1949, in Baltimore, Maryland, Evans has been a prominent figure in evangelical circles for decades.
- He previously served as chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Mavericks, holding the longest-standing NBA chaplaincy on record.
- In June 2024, Evans stepped down from his pastoral role due to an undisclosed sin committed many years ago, though he clarified it was not criminal in nature.
- Following his resignation, he was formally restored to ministry in October 2025 after a healing and restoration process.
- On December 7, 2025, his son, Jonathan Evans, was officially commissioned as the new lead pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, marking a transition in leadership after nearly 50 years of Evans’ leadership.
Heresy Checklist: What does Tony Evans believe:
Pelagianism: Humans are born morally good, contrary to original sin and total depravity.
Pelagianism is a theological doctrine from the 5th century, named after the British monk Pelagius, which emphasizes the inherent goodness of human nature and the freedom of human will to choose between good and evil without the necessity of divine grace for moral action. It denies the concept of original sin, asserting that Adam’s sin only affected himself and did not corrupt the nature of his descendants, meaning humans are born morally neutral and capable of living without sin through their own effort. Pelagius taught that individuals are solely responsible for their actions, and that grace is not an internal transformative power but rather external instruction or moral example, with salvation achievable through human effort and adherence to God’s commandments. This view was strongly opposed by Augustine of Hippo, who argued that humanity is inherently sinful and dependent on God’s grace for salvation, leading to Pelagianism being formally condemned as heretical by church councils, including the Council of Carthage (418) and the Council of Ephesus (431).
Inclusivism: Don’t have to be a Christian to be saved. Transdispensationalism: Christ’s atonement is outside of the Christian faith.
Inclusivism is a theological and philosophical position that holds the belief that while one belief system is considered absolutely true, aspects of truth can also be found in other religions. It stands in contrast to exclusivism, which asserts that only one religious path is true and all others are erroneous, and differs from religious pluralism, which maintains that all beliefs are equally valid within their respective contexts. Within religious studies, inclusivism often affirms that Jesus Christ is the sole Savior, but that individuals who have not explicitly heard or professed faith in Christ may still be saved through His redemptive work if they respond positively to the truth and light available to them through natural revelation, conscience, or their own religious traditions. This view is supported by interpretations of biblical passages such as Romans 2:14–16, which suggest that Gentiles who follow their conscience may be acting in accordance with God’s law, and Acts 10:34–35, which states that God accepts those who fear Him and do what is right, regardless of nationality.
Partialism: Divides the divine nature of God into 3 distinct parts – rather than affirming the orthodox view of one God in 3 co-equal, co-eternal persons.
Partialism is a theological concept primarily discussed in Christian doctrine, referring to the view that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each parts or segments of the one Divine Being, with each person constituting one-third of God’s essence. This perspective suggests that no single person of the Trinity is fully God on their own, as each possesses only a portion of the divine nature, thereby implying a division of God’s being into three parts. This idea is considered heretical by mainstream Christian orthodoxy because it contradicts the doctrine of divine simplicity and the belief that each person of the Trinity is fully and equally God, sharing the same undivided essence. The Nicene and Athanasian Creeds explicitly affirm that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are consubstantial (of the same essence) and coequal, which directly opposes the partialist notion of a divided divine essence.
Limited Theism: Denial of God’s omnipotence
Limited Theism is a theological perspective that limits one or more of God’s traditional attributes, such as omniscience, omnipotence, or immutability, in contrast to classical theism which affirms these attributes as infinite and absolute. It often manifests in views like open theism, which argues that God does not have exhaustive foreknowledge of the future because human free will keeps the future open, and process theology, which portrays God as evolving and responsive to creation rather than unchanging. Critics, particularly from historic Christian orthodoxy, argue that such views diminish God’s sovereignty and contradict biblical teachings that affirm God’s complete knowledge, power, and unchanging nature. Some proponents of Limited Theism, such as those in theistic finitism, accept God’s absolute goodness but reject omnipotence, asserting that a perfectly good God cannot be responsible for evil if He is also all-powerful.
Modalism: The trinity is one God in 3 manifestations that only exist in one manifestation at a time. The three cannot exist simultaneously
Modalism is a Christian theological doctrine that teaches God is one in essence but exists in three different modes or manifestations—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—rather than as three distinct, co-eternal persons. According to modalism, these titles represent different ways God reveals Himself throughout history: as the Father in the Old Testament, as the Son during Jesus’ earthly ministry, and as the Holy Spirit after Pentecost. This view denies the Trinitarian understanding of three distinct Persons within the Godhead, asserting instead that God shifts between these roles or modes. Modalism, also known as Modalistic Monarchianism or Oneness Christology, was historically associated with figures like Noetus, Praxeas, and Sabellius in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and was condemned as heretical by early church councils, including the Council of Nicaea. Today, it is primarily upheld by Oneness Pentecostals, who baptize in the name of Jesus alone and view the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as titles for the one divine Person.
Kingdom Race Theory: Alternative to CRT (Critical Race Theory)
Kingdom Race Theology (KRT) is a biblical framework developed by Dr. Tony Evans to address racial issues from a Christian perspective, offering a response to Critical Race Theory (CRT) and related social movements. It emphasizes the reconciled recognition, affirmation, and celebration of divinely created ethnic differences as a means through which God displays His multifaceted glory, while calling for justice, righteousness, and unity under the lordship of Jesus Christ. KRT teaches that racism is a sin and a kingdom issue, not merely a cultural or social one, and calls for repentance, reconciliation, and practical action across racial lines to restore broken relationships.
