Tullian Tchividjian resigned from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church on Sunday after admitting to an "inappropriate relationship" with a friend.
"I resigned from my position at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church today due to ongoing marital issues," Tchividjian said in a statement to The Washington Post.
In the statement, he explained that after discovering his wife was having an affair, he felt heartbroken and sought comfort in a friend, with whom he himself had an affair. He was confronted about it by church leaders last week, and he admitted to the wrongdoing.
"It was decided that the best course of action would be for me to resign. Both my wife and I are heartbroken over our actions and we ask you to pray for us and our family that God would give us the grace we need to weather this heart wrenching storm," he added.
A few days before his resignation, the former pastor tweeted, "The bad news that we are all guilty is met with the best news that God loves and forgives guilty people."
The bad news that we are all guilty is met with the best news that God loves and forgives guilty people.
— Tullian Tchividjian (@PastorTullian) June 17, 2015
His wife Kim has not given details about their marital problems, but she has issued a statement to The Washington Post in response to Tchividjian's statement.
"The statement reflected my husband's opinions but not my own. Please respect the privacy of my family at this time, thank you. I do thank everyone for the outpouring of love for my family as well during this difficult time and we appreciate all the prayers and support we are receiving," she said.
Tchividjian and his wife were married in 1994 and have three children. On the same day of his resignation, the former pastor tweeted a message that reflected his emotion at the time.
Welcome to the valley of the shadow of death...thank God grace reigns here. — Tullian Tchividjian (@PastorTullian) June 21, 2015
Tchividjian, the son of famous evangelist Billy Graham's eldest daughter, became senior pastor of Coral Ridge in 2009. He succeeded D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge, who died in 2006. He was initially unpopular to some members of the church when he stepped in, and some of them, including Kennedy's daughter, tried to oust him within his first six months of tenure, according to Christianity Today.
The former pastor is not as politically active as his predecessor Kennedy, his uncle Franklin Graham, or his grandfather Billy Graham, who became adviser to many U.S. presidents. Instead, Tchividjian an evangelical ministry called Liberate that focuses on God's grace and forgiveness, according to NBC News.
