Second Pastor Resigns From TX Church in Less Than a Month
Pastors Josiah Anthony and Byron Copeland resigned from Cross Timbers Church in Argyle.
The upheaval continues at Cross Timbers Church in Argyle, Texas. Two pastors have resigned in less than a month.
Byron Copeland / Video screenshot
Lead Pastor Josiah Anthony was asked to resign in July after the elders discovered he had engaged in “inappropriate and hurtful” actions. At the time, the elders said the actions didn’t involve “any children, physical or sexual interactions or any illegal activity to our knowledge.”
Then, on August 4, they updated the congregation. “Upon further investigation, we discovered that Josiah was not forthcoming or transparent and had a concerning pattern of communicating inappropriately with women,” Elder Jon Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he didn’t consider the contact to be an affair.
“An affair, whether emotional or physical, requires consent,” Sullivan said. “These interactions could not be consensual because of the unequal power dynamic created by Josiah’s position as a pastor in the church. This imbalance of power makes these interactions especially grievous for us, and that behavior will not be tolerated in the church.”
Initially, Cross Timbers Elder John Chalk announced that Byron Copeland would serve as interim lead pastor. Copeland worked at nearby Gateway Church before becoming executive pastor at Cross Timbers, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Now Copeland has resigned as well, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle, which published a truncated statement by Copeland to the congregation.
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“I have felt the heavy weight of our recent hurt at Cross Timbers Church,” Copeland said. “But, I am thankful that this is a place of healing and hope. Especially with Toby Slough’s willingness to return to steady the ship, I am as confident and optimistic about the future of this church as I’ve ever been.”
Toby Slough is the founding pastor of Cross Timbers Church.
“Though this period has been exceptionally challenging, walking through this with the staff has enriched my life. I have met so many incredible people who have inspired my faith. But, I sense that God is calling me to a fresh season of life. So, it is with a thankful heart I have decided to resign from my position,” Copeland added.
Copeland was reportedly named in a 2023 federal discrimination lawsuit filed against Gateway Church that was settled by the parties for an undisclosed amount and dismissed.
Copeland allegedly “backed” a female employee “into a corner” and “threatened to fire her” after she reported unwanted romantic advances by her boss, now-former Gateway Pastor Al Pearson, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.
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