Cross Timbers former pastor sent messages ‘sexual in nature’ to women, email states
Cross Timbers Church’s board of elders said former lead pastor Josiah Anthony had inappropriate communication, including messages of a sexual nature, with women in the church, according to an email sent Thursday to church staff and members.
Anthony resigned Tuesday from Cross Timbers, which is in Argyle in Denton County.
The email’s statement was posted on X by Amy Smith of Watchkeep, a watchdog blog. According to the email, the church’s board of elders received a report saying Anthony had used social media to have inappropriate communication with a woman who was a member of the church.
“This was taken very seriously by the Elders, and we were grateful it was brought to our attention,” the email reads.
The initial email announcing Anthony’s resignation says the inappropriate actions committed by the pastor were not connected to children, physical or sexual interactions, or any illegal activity “to our knowledge.”
Cross Timbers staff originally announced Anthony’s resignation during a weekend church service.
In Thursday’s email, the board of elders said they “made mistakes along the way” and should have communicated more directly and clearly early on.
According to the elder’s, Anthony told the board his actions were a result of his struggles with his mental and emotional well-being at the time.
The elders determined Anthony had a “concerning pattern” of behavior in his communication with women, the email reads.
On July 2, the elders learned of inappropriate communication that was not sexual, but was “excessively personal,” and overly familiar with another former staff member at Cross Timbers, according to the statement.
Following this interaction, the board asked Anthony to resign, to which he agreed, the elders wrote in the email.
The board said it was after Anthony’s resignation that they then learned of another instance where he sent messages through social media that were “sexual in nature.”
“Because the power dynamic of these interactions were never equal, we do not consider these to be consensual,” the elders wrote. “This behavior will not be tolerated at this church.”
The elders conclude the email by saying they may learn more in the coming days and commit to take further action as deemed necessary.
“Thank you to the woman who were courageous coming forward. We believe you, are grateful for your willingness to share your experiences, and we are deeply sorry that your trust was violated,” the email said.
Anthony’s resignation comes after several other North Texas church leaders recently resigned or temporarily stepped down from their positions, including Gateway Church’s lead pastor and founder Robert Morris.
Morris resigned from the Southlake megachurch in June, just days after he admitted he had sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s in Oklahoma and Texas. Morris was 21 when he first molested Cindy Clemishire, who is now in her 50s, Clemishire has said.. The abuse went on for four years, Clemishire told the church watchdog blog The Wartburg Watch.
