Pastor and author Tony Evans married his fiancée Carla in a private ceremony in recent days, and the two are “excited to continue serving the Lord together,” his church said in an announcement Sunday.
The 74-year-old pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas had announced in September his engagement to Carla Crummie, saying she lost her husband around the same time his wife Lois passed away of cancer in 2019.
Oak Cliff announced the marriage in a brief statement on social media.
“As we enter the celebratory Christmas season, we also celebrate the marriage announcement of our senior Pastor and his bride, Mrs. Carla Evans,” the church’s Facebook page said. “Marriage is a blessing from God, and it brings us great joy to see our pastor blessed in this beautiful way. After entering into their union in a private ceremony surrounded by family and close friends, the couple is excited to continue serving the Lord together, supported by faith, love, and the prayers of our church family.”
Evans announced the engagement to his congregation in the Sept. 10 church service as he was surrounded by family members.
“As I work through the ups and downs of singlehood, God, in His sovereignty, has brought someone into my life,” Evans said. “This someone has traveled this similar road. In fact, she and her husband were on their way to Lois's funeral when her husband died.
“As I have tried to share the ups and downs of my life with you, I wanted to share this and give you the opportunity to meet my new fiancée, Miss. Carla Crummie.”
Members of Oak Cliff cheered as Evans’ fiancée stood up from her pew.
The past few months, he said, have been filled with both grief and joy. He lost his father one month before his wife died. Similarly, Carla Evans’ mother passed away one year before she lost her husband.
“As they enter a new season of life and ministry as a couple, our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Oak Cliff said in a social media post. “May their union be blessed and filled with God’s wisdom, love, and grace.”
Photo Courtesy: Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.