Author Philip Yancey Confesses Affair and Withdraws From Ministry

When those we’ve admired for decades fall short, we feel hurt and betrayed. Whether the truth came out gracefully or not, we’re left confused, angry, bitter, and shocked. And yet, we’re often reminded that even those we most admire are human. Like us, they stumble and fall. Like us, they are not perfect. 

Recently, Philip Yancey, an American retired author, devastated news sources with a confession no one saw coming: adultery. 

“To my great shame, I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married woman.

My conduct defied everything that I believe about marriage. It was also totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings and caused deep pain for her husband and both of our families. I will not share further details out of respect for the other family.

I have confessed my sin before God and my wife, and have committed myself to a professional counseling and accountability program. I have failed morally and spiritually, and I grieve over the devastation I have caused. I realize that my actions will disillusion readers who have previously trusted in my writing. Worst of all, my sin has brought dishonor to God. I am filled with remorse and repentance, and I have nothing to stand on except God’s mercy and grace.

I am now focused on rebuilding trust and restoring my marriage of 55 years. Having disqualified myself from Christian ministry, I am therefore retiring from writing, speaking, and social media. Instead, I need to spend my remaining years living up to the words I have already written. I pray for God’s grace and forgiveness—as well as yours—and for healing in the lives of those I’ve wounded.” said Yancey (Christianity Today). 

For many, Yancey’s words were sincere. His public confession and withdrawal from ministry show the severity of his action and the remorse he expresses. For others, however, the damage has already been done. Yancey is emphasizing accountability and stepping back from Kingdom Work to repair his inner well, but this moment matters beyond one individual. 

Over the years, Yancey has been known as one of the most influential Christian writers of his time. Writing mainly about spiritual issues, his books have sold more than 15 million copies and been translated into 40 different languages. But for many, this makes the blow even more devastating. We feel a mirage of emotions—sadness, anger, confusion, betrayal, and doubt. This was a man we trusted and learned spiritual truths from. But perhaps it’s a simple reminder: When faith leaders fall, and the Church feels shocked, how will we respond? And when those who taught us about grace fall short of it, how do we hold truth, accountability, and mercy together without losing our faith?

The Real Cost of Leadership Failure

While Yancey’s story is traumatic and shattering, the moral failure of leaders is nothing new. Events and confessions like these happen all the time; some just slip under the radar more easily than others. Reader, churches, and seekers of various leadership positions worldwide have failed us. We’ve heard scandals and accusations. Confessions and pleas. Christian celebrities and leaders like Tony Evans, Robert Morris, and Ravi Zacharias are just a few to jog your memory. The numbers seem to increase week after week. 

But as Matt Reynolds, founder and president of Spirit & Truth, a church-equipping, resourcing, and missions ministry based out of Dayton, Ohio, notes, these incidents are reminders of the real cost of leadership. There is an immense danger of pedestal Christianity, and while leaders can do good, they can also cause a lot of harm. And this is why disappointment often explodes misplaced hope in us:

“While I would never want to suggest anything that undermines the personal culpability of those who have perpetrated evil, I do have the sense that those of us in the larger Christian world who have helped shape this subculture are not blameless. We have created a church that desires “winners” above all else. Much like in the American sports scene or our appalling political landscape, we in the church have a tendency to look the other way for those we think will get us closer to the end we desire. Never mind if someone is a terrible human; just help us hang another championship banner in the arena. Disregard any personal depravity, just as long as we win the election and pass preferred policies. In the church growth era, where success has been measured by attendance rather than the depth of sacrificial discipleship, this is not surprising. We are reaping the fruit of the shallow seeds we have sown for decades” (Fire Brand Magazine). 

Biblical Framework: Fallible People, Faithful God

As a society, it’s clear that we’re fallible people. As hard as we may try, we’re going to make mistakes. But this is why it’s crucial to evaluate where and in whom we put our trust. 

Leaders have a great responsibility to lead us well. And this is why not everyone is called to lead. They will be judged more harshly. But we also have a responsibility to place our allegiance in Christ. Leaders need to lead well, but we must trust our faithful God above them. Filter others’ teachings through the lens of Jesus and His Word. 

In the Scriptures, we see numerous examples of great leaders who also failed. 2 Samuel, 11-12, recounts David, a man after God’s own heart, who also committed adultery. In Luke 22, Peter denies Jesus, but is restored in’ John 21. The book of Genesis tells of Abraham being blessed by God, but he also got impatient and took matters into his own hands before that blessing arrived. 

I share these stories not as excuses for sin, but to point to redemption. Remember, Jesus tells us it’s a sin to know what to do and not do it. And grace is not an excuse to keep on sinning. But when we do fall short, mercy is available to us. Not to abuse, but to make us right with the Lord. 

What Accountability and Repentance Should Look Like

As we wrestle to make sense of events like Yancey’s confession and many other leaders’ failures, it’s important to note what accountability and repentance should and shouldn’t look like. 

True and biblical confession is from the heart. It’s something that happens between you and God. It’s not about image management or looking good to those around you. 

Honest and theological confession also prioritizes withdrawal from leadership as responsibility and not erasure. When we do wrong, we confess our sins to one another, not to erase our faults, but because we don’t want to continue to falsely lead them.

In both of these measures, restoration is a process, not a platform. And with the right motivations and intentions,  these leaders are attempting to make things right, not grow their platform or become popular in the news. 

Practical Application

Today, I know your heart is probably heavy. Maybe you’re grieving, angry, or find yourself growing cynical. But friends, we can respond to this incident differently from the world. 

First, take time to grieve. Write down your thoughts in a journal or talk to God about what you’re feeling. It’s okay to be angry and feel what you do. But don’t allow those emotions to fester into cynicism. Don’t let the sun go down on you while you’re still angry. Don’t judge others in the way you yourself wouldn’t want to be judged. 

Second, learn to separate the message from the messenger. Yancey was an incredible writer, but He spoke truths about Jesus Christ. His credibility might be a bit tarnished now, but that can’t and won’t change the facts about Jesus and His message to each of us. This incident might shake your trust in influential figures, but don’t allow it to shake your trust in the one true God. 

Friends, today, take some time to pray and process. Name this communal grief. Sit with the discomfort. Cry and shout if you need to. But then, ask the Lord to soften your heart as you learn to move on. Ask Him to help you trust Him above all. And to know that even when leaders fail us, He never will. 

Prayer

Dear Jesus, when great leaders stumble and fall, would you help us to respond appropriately? While we might be filled with anger and malice, we ask you to fill our spirits with humility, healing, and discernment. We pray for those impacted by these recent events and that you help both us and them to move on according to your will. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus. Amen. 

Agape, Amber