The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Bob Smietana, was published Jan. 7, 2026 on religionnews.com. It has been lightly edited for Banner style.
Philip Yancey, a widely read evangelical author and speaker, will retire from public ministry after admitting to a long-term affair.
Christianity Today published a letter received from Yancey, 76, in its report of his ministry withdrawal. “My conduct defied everything that I believe about marriage,” Yancey wrote. “It was also totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings and caused deep pain for her husband and both of our families.”
Yancey had been a columnist and contributor of Christianity Today for decades.
Known for his thoughtful and poignant books on faith, with titles such as What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Disappointment With God, and Where Is God When It Hurts?, Yancey connected with millions of evangelical readers, helping them wrestle with doubts about their faith and the hardships of life.
His books sold a reported 15 million copies, and Yancey was a popular speaker at churches and Christian events, continuing to accept speaking engagements even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2023.
He had been scheduled on Wednesday (Jan. 7) to speak at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, Calif., at a service commemorating the wildfires that struck that community, before news of his retirement broke.
In his letter to CT, Yancey, who has been married for 55 years, said he has withdrawn from all writing, speaking, and social media and entered a counseling program to deal with the damage caused from what he called an eight-year affair with a married woman.
“Instead, I need to spend my remaining years living up to the words I have already written. I pray for God’s grace and forgiveness—as well as yours—and for healing in the lives of those I’ve wounded,” he wrote in his letter to CT.
In a statement included in the CT story, Yancey’s wife, Janet, asked for prayer, saying she knows God has forgiven her husband. She also said she was dealing with the trauma of betrayal.
“God grant me the grace to forgive also, despite my unfathomable trauma. Please pray for us.”
Former Christianity Today editor David Neff, a longtime colleague of Yancey, said news of Yancey’s misconduct left him speechless.
“Fortunately, Philip makes no attempt to gloss over his deeds, blame the victim, or turn this into a launching pad for further ministry,” he said in a post on Facebook. “His statement shows a solid biblical understanding of the nature of sin and grace. Pray for Philip and Janet at this difficult time.”
c. 2026 Religion News Service
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