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.

What we know or don’t know

The statement from the Trinity elders says: “Effective immediately, Steven J. Lawson has been removed indefinitely from all ministry activities at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas. Several days ago, the elders at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas were informed by Steve Lawson of an inappropriate relationship that he has had with a woman. The elders have met with Steve and will continue to come alongside him and pray for him with the ultimate goal of his personal repentance. Steve will no longer be compensated by Trinity Bible Church of Dallas.”

The statement is consistent with announcements about other pastors in that it doesn’t say much at all. What does “inappropriate” mean? Has there been an ongoing sexual relationship? Is it texting? Is the woman a church member? Is she a legal adult?

The problem with vague statements like this is that it makes it impossible for us to have any kind of deeply informed discussion about how to solve these problems or hold people accountable without filling in blanks and throwing out hypotheticals. Then when we do, the church can call us gossips for speculating about details.

“By withholding specifics, they seem to want to stifle any conversation about it.”

By withholding specifics, they seem to want to stifle any conversation about it. And thus, they control the narrative and protect themselves. And perhaps protecting themselves has less to do with doing the right thing and more to do with protecting themselves against legal trouble or making sure they can continue moving forward with their building plans.

On the home page of their website, just below the announcement about Lawson’s removal is a link to the church’s plans to purchase a new location. “Over the past six years our Lord has continued to provide for the growth of our church in amazing ways sometimes beyond our imagination,” the elders wrote. And what happened six years ago? That’s when Steve Lawson became their pastor.

So when they want money to build, they talk about how Lawson’s successes are “beyond our imagination.” And when Lawson gets fired, they leave the specifics up to our imagination.

A theology of dehumanization

Thankfully, there is much we can know about Lawson that affected his inner posture toward his church members and his neighbors.

John MacArthur

The fact that he was the dean of D.Min studies for John MacArthur, who says slavery is “the perfect scenario” and who threatened church discipline against a woman who divorced her husband who was convicted of child molestation and abuse, should tell you everything you need to know.

But Lawson belongs to a very scary group of double-predestination Calvinists whose theology destroys their humanity. While preaching at MacArthur’s conference for pastors, Lawson said: “Jesus isn’t coming to save. He’s coming to slaughter. He isn’t coming to deliver. He’s coming to destroy and damn.”

It’s not merely that Lawson believes in hell that’s the problem. But listen to how detailed he gets in his description of what he thinks humanity will experience.

Continue reading at Baptist News Global.