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Pastor Jonathan Evans speaks during the We The Kingdom Conference at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Saturday, July 18, 2026. Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, a prominent megachurch, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
In the early years of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship<\/a>, members joined small groups to study the Bible and gather outside of Sunday morning worship.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, five decades after the church\u2019s founding, lead pastor Jonathan Evans wants to bring back that idea for the needs of the church and its congregants.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to spread our wings a little bit further and take that original motif and expound on it,\u201d Jonathan Evans, the son of the church\u2019s founding pastor Tony Evans<\/a>, said in an interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The megachurch in Dallas is marking its 50th anniversary this year. As it looks to the future, Jonathan Evans said bringing back the small groups, or \u201cKingdom communities,\u201d will put the gifts of the church\u2019s thousands of members to good use and help members connect meaningfully with each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe faithfulness of God yesterday is the same faithfulness of God today,\u201d Evans said.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Saturday, congregants marked the anniversary with an all day event to hear from church leadership and celebrate its history.\u00a0<\/p>\n In remarks to an apt congregation, Tony Evans charged members with being Christians in actions in order to \u201cadvance\u201d God\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am so proud of what you are doing and will do over these next years,\u201d Tony Evans told the crowd. \u201cAnd I\u2019m going to play my part in supporting this pastor, this vision, this church.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n After church member Rachael Turner moved back to Dallas from Chicago about four years ago, she returned to Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship particularly for the teaching, which she described as practical.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful transition with Pastor Jonathan,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can kind of tell something’s shifting.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church members say pastor’s move a ‘sign of spiritual maturity’<\/a><\/p>\n Former pastor Tony Evans preaches during the We The Kingdom Conference at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Saturday, July 18, 2026. Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, a prominent megachurch, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.<\/p>\n Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Church founded 50 years ago<\/p>\n Over the years, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship has grown to a membership of around 8,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The church first began as a Bible study with Tony Evans and later moved into an A-frame building that\u2019s still on the church\u2019s large campus on Camp Wisdom Road.\u00a0<\/p>\n The church was founded around the same time as several other prominent historically Black churches in the area, including Friendship-West Baptist<\/a> Church and Concord Church.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the 1980s and 1990s, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship began to rapidly grow in membership and ministries. Jonathan Evans chalked the growth up to his father\u2019s preaching and teaching.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNot only was he a didactic teacher in terms of the way that he taught the Bible, but he is also one of the greatest illustrators of all time,\u201d Jonathan Evans said. \u201cHe could story-tell like none other.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Eventually, the church built multi-use space for recreational activities like basketball and church picnics. The church now features a large worship center and bookstore, and has two campuses for its affiliated private schools. It also owns a golf course.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe became more and more of a staple in the community and a place for people to come to, not just to go to church,\u201d Jonathan Evans said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tony Evans, who led the church for decades, stepped down in 2024 following an undisclosed \u201csin.\u201d<\/a> In October, the church announced that Tony Evans had completed a restoration process, but would not return to church leadership.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Pastor Tony Evans on legacy, fighting racism with the Bible, time away from pulpit<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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