Billy Graham's grandson, Tullian Tchividjian Deposed from Ministry

Billy Graham's grandson has been deposed from ministry by his Florida mega church after both he and his wife admitted to extra-marital affairs. Tullian Tchividjian joined Coral Ridge Presbyterian church in 2009 and resigned in June this year after the affairs became public knowledge.

The church said he was deposed in order both to "protect the integrity of the Church from which his credentials were given while, at the same time, wrapping Tullian in the grace offered by Jesus Christ to all those who confess sin, pursue repentance and desire restoration."

The American Presbyterian Church defines deposition as
"the degradation of an officer from his office."

When the affairs first emerged, Rob Pacienza, executive pastor of Coral Ridge, said:

"Several days ago, Pastor Tullian admitted to moral failure, acknowledging his actions disqualify him from continuing to serve as senior pastor or preach from the pulpit, and resigned — effective immediately. We are saddened by this news, but are working with and assisting Pastor Tullian and his family to help them through this difficult time, and asking people to join us in praying that God will bring restoration through this process and healing to all involved."

In his original resignation statement, Tchividjian said:

"I resigned from my position at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church today due to ongoing marital issues. As many of you know, I returned from a trip a few months back and discovered that my wife was having an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, I informed our church leadership and requested a sabbatical to focus exclusively on my marriage. As her affair continued, we separated. Sadly and embarrassingly, I subsequently sought comfort in a friend and developed an inappropriate relationship myself.

"Last week I was approached by our church leaders and they asked me about my own affair. I admitted to it and it was decided that the best course of action would be for me to resign. Both my wife and I are heartbroken over our actions and we ask you to pray for us and our family that God would give us the grace we need to weather this heart wrenching storm. We are amazingly grateful for the team of men and women who are committed to walking this difficult path with us. Please pray for the healing of deep wounds and we kindly ask that you respect our privacy."

Tchividjian's mother Virginia is the oldest of the five children of Ruth and Billy Graham. When he was a rebellious teenager, his father told him to leave home, calling the police to escort him out. He said at the time: "I never doubted the existence of God. I never disbelieved in the authority of the Bible and the reality of Jesus and the cross, never. My problem was not intellectual, my problem was experiential. I just simply wanted to have fun and live my life the way I wanted to live it without anyone telling me what to do. My great fear was if I surrendered my life over to the Lord, He would strip me of all of the fun and excitement that this world has to offer."

Tchividjian, 42, married Kim in 1994 and they have three children. He met Kim, a waitress, in a local restaurant during this period and they both gave their life to Jesus before being married by Billy Graham.