Christian author Philip Yancey, who has been in a marriage spanning over fifty years, has admitted to a prolonged affair, stating to Christianity Today that this has rendered him “disqualified” from continuing in ministry.
Yancey was candid in his admission, refraining from justifying the affair. He openly acknowledged the wrongdoing and the severe repercussions his actions have caused.
“To my deep regret, I admit that for eight years I engaged in a sinful relationship with a married woman. This conduct went against everything I stand for regarding marriage. It betrayed my faith, contradicted my writings, and inflicted significant pain on her husband and both families involved. Out of respect for the other family, I will not divulge further details,” he stated, as reported by the outlet.
Philip Yancey at Waterstone Community Church on April 18, 2019, in Littleton, Colorado. (Joe Amon/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
“I have sought forgiveness from God and my wife, committing myself to a program of professional counseling and accountability. I acknowledge my moral and spiritual failings, and I am deeply sorrowful for the harm I have caused. I understand that my actions might dishearten readers who have valued my work. Most importantly, my wrongdoing has brought shame upon God. I am overwhelmed with remorse and repentance, relying solely on God’s mercy and grace,” he expressed, as per the outlet.
“I am now dedicated to rebuilding trust and mending my 55-year marriage. Having disqualified myself from Christian ministry, I am stepping away from writing, public speaking, and social media. My focus will be on living up to the words I have previously penned. I pray for God’s grace and forgiveness, along with yours, and for healing for those I have hurt,” Yancey stated in an email to Christianity Today.
He also supplied the outlet with a statement from his wife.
A Denver County Jail inmate reads a book by Philip Yancey called “Where Is God When It Hurts?” (Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
In the statement, Janet Yancey noted that in the face of this “trauma and devastation” she does not plan to break her “marriage vow,” and she asked for people to pray for her and her husband.
“I, Janet Yancey, am speaking from a place of trauma and devastation that only people who have lived through betrayal can understand. Yet I made a sacred and binding marriage vow 55½ years ago, and I will not break that promise. I accept and understand that God through Jesus has paid for and forgiven the sins of the world, including Philip’s. God grant me the grace to forgive also, despite my unfathomable trauma. Please pray for us,” she said in the statement, according to the outlet.
Christian cross against the sky. (Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In a 2023 piece about being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Yancey wrote, “I have an omnicompetent wife of 52 years who takes my health and well-being as a personal challenge.”
“Sixteen years ago, when I lay strapped to a backboard with a broken neck after an auto accident, Janet drove through a blizzard to retrieve me. Already she was mentally redesigning our house in case she needed to prepare for life with a paralytic. She shows that same selfless, fierce loyalty now, even as she faces the potentially demanding role of caregiving,” he wrote in the piece.
