The Florida pastor who resigned from his Presbyterian church following an extramarital affair has broken his silence, and said: “It was the worst external decision I had ever made in my life.”
Tullian Tchividjian, 43, the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, resigned from the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale after the affair was uncovered in June.
After discovering his wife, Kim Tchividjian, had had an affair, the couple separated and the head pastor then “ended up getting involved with a girl that I should not have, obviously,” he said.
He has now opened up about the “dark nights” that he has experienced in an emotional podcast describing his range of anger, guilt, embarassment and despair, reported the Orlando Sentinel.
He said: “It was a short-lived thing, it wasn’t a long thing, but it was the worst external decision I had ever made in my life.
“And I’m wrestling with the aftermath of that. I’ve experienced dark nights of the soul in a way I’ve never experienced before.
“One of the things God is forcing me to face is that I knew I was bad…I didn’t know I was this bad.”
Tchividjian resigned in late June after church officials learned of the affair and approached him about it.
He had served as head pastor since 2009, after being chosen to lead the church following the death of founding pastor D. James Kennedy.
Despite his misdemeanours, his 120,000 supporters on his social media accounts have been sending him prayers of support.
On the podcast, Tchividjian added that he thought he had become more arrogant and perhaps believed “the messenger” was more important than God’s message.
“I want the message to be about Jesus and I want that to be primary,” Tchividjian said.
“My hope and my prayer for me and my family and my life going forward, regardless of what I wind up doing, is that I would get God’s grace at a much deeper level than I could have ever gotten it if He had not allowed this to happen.”
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This is a sad story. But somehow there seems to be this idea that the devil made him do it. Really? Not much in the national news, so Billy Graham gets a pass. But he is not really a Presbyterian and should not be identified as such. Billy Graham and his family are Baptists and Coral Ridge was that in reality.
Having been to Coral Ridge several times, it’s NOT a Baptist church, it’s a very strong member of the Presbyterian Church In America. Billy Graham was raised in the Assoc. Presbyterian church, and his late Wife and late Brother in law, who was pastor of Highland Park Pres. in Dallas all Presbyterians. Billy Graham later went on to join the SBC.
With that said I’m much more concerned for Coral Ridge Pres, the after math of Kennedy’s death and his replacement tore apart this great church, in reality my heart and prayers are for and with them as they once again try move forward and rebuild from a another mess.
@jamesH
Billy Graham was ordained an SBC pastor.
His theology and practice is Southern Baptist.
Coral Ridge was a PCA church, but its theology and practice were and are hardly Presbyterian. It was just an extension of the John Birch Society.
seamus, go troll another site……….
What’s all this about Baptist as though they were the devil’s spawn??? There are reformed baptists whose main difference from Presbyterians is that they won’t baptize babies. This is the main difference between Baptists and Presbyterians. I know Presbyterian pastors who won’t baptize babies, just dedicate them. Remember when you point one finger at them you have four pointing back to yourself.
Interesting perspective on this preacher. Maybe seamus has a point despite his bad attitude.
http://www.mortificationofspin.org/mos/postcards-from-palookaville/when-the-p-word-is-apparently-not-presbyterianism#.VcuHwUV0G9O
The enemy is always within the gates seeking to destroy, however, God’s grace is greater. I will build my church, and the gates will of hell will not/never prevail; the church will be tested; Never destroyed by the destroyer.
Oh yes, James H – name calling in the Spirit of the Lord, as usual!! This is an open forum, until that changes try to be civil, eh?
I did not see any reference to asking for forgiveness. There were other people so affected by this choice and sin (of both Tillian and his wife) caused a domino affect with dire consequences. I hope that is part of the message as well as the forgiveness from God that Tillian receives. No adultery, on the wife’s part or the husbands part, is a “short lived thing” because two people are involved, children are involved, partners and their spouses are involved.
The church needs to offer help, healing, forgiveness, and strong messages
to help people through the “dark nights” and days of the struggles our culture has allowed.
Tillian, I pray that God will bless your family going forward and coming through this crisis…….and I pray for the others that were involved as well!