Tullian Tchividjian, Grandson of Billy Graham, Laments Over the Abandonment of Fallen Christian Leaders

Grandson of Billy Graham and former senior pastor, Tullian Tchividjian laments that Christians tend to abandon leaders who have fallen.  And the church tends to forsake its leaders when they sin.  This has encouraged many to disappear and some to even commit suicide.  Tchividjian the former pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian church in Florida resigned from his church position after he and his wife have both admitted to extramarital affairs..

However, in a message to his supporters, the former lead pastor believes the Gospel message allows him to be seen at his "most embarrassing worst."

"What typically happens when a Christian leader falls is that they disappear and only reappear when they're strong and shiny again. No one ever sees them in their broken and weakened condition. When we do this, we send the message that Christianity is only for good and strong and clean people," Tchividjian said in a Facebook post.

"But believe it or not, Christianity is not about good people getting better. It is, rather, good news for bad people coping with their failure to be good. The message of the Christian faith is that because Jesus was strong for us we are free to be weak," he added.

In a follow-up post, the grandson of famous evangelist Billy Graham wrote: "The Gospel sets me free to let you see me at my most embarrassing worst."

Tchividjian was the founding pastor of New City Presbyterian Church, an Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation. On Easter Sunday, 2009, he was installed as the second senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, succeeding its late founding pastor, Dr. D. James Kennedy, in a worship service with more than 5,000 in attendance. This was the first service with members of both congregations together since Coral Ridge and New City agreed to merge.

Although he is as conservative as Kennedy theologically, Tchividjian was more inclined toward contemporary worship than Kennedy had been. For instance, he did not wear vestments, as Kennedy did, preferring a suit and tie. Also, his sermons were not tinged with political themes as Kennedy's had been.

On September 20, 2009, a majority of the congregation voted to retain Tchividjian. In a news release following the decision, the church stated, "attendance had doubled in the past year, that 300 new members had been added since Tchividjian was installed, and that 192 people are registered for the next new members class, making it the largest new members class in the church's 50-year history".

On June 21, 2015, Tchividjian resigned as senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church after admitting to an adulterous affair. 

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