Renowned Christian author Philip Yancey announced he is finishing up his public ministry having publicly admitted to infidelity.
In a statement published by Christianity Todayon 6 January, Mr Yancey admitted to an affair over the past eight years. He said he will now conclude his public ministry, including writing and social media, to live his remaining years “living up to the words I have already written.”
“To my great shame, I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married woman,” Mr Yancey wrote.
“My conduct defied everything that I believe about marriage. It was also totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings and caused deep pain for her husband and both of our families. I will not share further details out of respect for the other family.”
“I have confessed my sin before God and my wife, and have committed myself to a professional counseling and accountability program. I have failed morally and spiritually, and I grieve over the devastation I have caused. I realize that my actions will disillusion readers who have previously trusted in my writing. Worst of all, my sin has brought dishonor to God. I am filled with remorse and repentance, and I have nothing to stand on except God’s mercy and grace.”
Janet Yancey issued her own statement.
“I, Janet Yancey, am speaking from a place of trauma and devastation that only people who have lived through betrayal can understand,” she wrote.
“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.”
The announcement ends a decades-long career in publishing, with Mr Yancey having penned acclaimed works such as The Jesus I Never Knew and The Bible Jesus Read. Yancey’s books have sold more than 15 million copies and were translated into more than 40 languages. During his career, he visited over 85 countries and had prominent fans of his work, including former US President Jimmy Carter. Yancey’s work often deals with how to maintain faith despite suffering.
In keeping with his retirement announcement, Mr Yancey has cancelled previously-announced events. At the time of writing, it appears his social media accounts have been deleted.
Yancey’s readers respond
Long-term readers of Mr Yancey’s work have responded to the news in a variety of ways.
In a piece also published on Christianity Today, Joseph D’Souza recalled his decades-long friendship with the Yanceys and suggested the news brought up questions worth reflecting on.
“One question lingers in my mind: Did Philip and Janet have a close, transparent Christian community around them during these years?” Mr D’Souza wrote.
“In our modern celebrity Christian culture, gifted leaders are often isolated on pedestals, far from the small, faithful communities where life is shared openly – strengths and weaknesses alike. In true community, major deviations are harder to hide, and loving accountability can intervene before years of hidden pain accumulate.”
“For those of us in ministry, especially those of us past 50, this is a sobering reminder: there is no automatic guarantee we will finish well. Human hearts are complex. Minds never stop working. Temptations evolve. Only daily dependence on Christ, lived out in honest relationships, offers real protection.”
UK-based writer Amy Boucher Pye noted she was struggling with whether to continue reading the author’s work.
“The crushing news of Philip Yancey’s extended infidelity has jolted us, but the story feels all too familiar now,” Ms Boucher Pye wrote.
“One whom we’ve trusted with our pain and our uncertainties – one who seemed an earnest, committed fellow believer – continued in his blatant wrongdoing for eight years. Shall we still read his books? I don’t know. I got rid of all of the books I had by Jean Vanier and Bill Hybels. I have a shelf of Philip’s books, some signed as I met him and his wife many years ago through my work as a commissioning editor with Zondervan. She is a gregarious, gorgeous person, for whom I grieve.”
“I think I won’t keep his books, sadly, and instead will see if I can find alternatives to recommend by authors who aren’t so well known. People of colour; women with stories to share who haven’t had the gift of the platform he enjoyed.”
Jonathan Foye is a freelance journalist and academic
