Christian author Philip Yancey retires after admitting to 8-year affair
Christian author Philip Yancey has admitted to an eight-year "sinful" affair with a married woman.
He also announced that he would retire from writing and speaking in a statement sent to Christianity Today.
"My conduct defied everything that I believe about marriage," he stated. Yancey has been married to his wife Janet for 55 years.
"It was totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings and caused deep pain for her husband and both of our families," he added, keeping further details private.
He continued to say that he confessed his sin before God and his wife and committed to a professional counseling and accountability program.
"I have failed morally and spiritually, and I grieve over the devastation I have caused. I realize that my actions will disillusion readers who have previously trusted in my writing."
Yancey is the author of books The Jesus I Never New and What's So Amazing About Grace? which earned the Christian Book of the Year title from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He also published a book on marriage titled After the Wedding.
The 76-year-old writer added that he will now focus on fixing his 55-year marriage and that he will step away from writing, speaking and social media.
Yancey's wife, Janet, also issued a statement to the Christian outlet about their relationship moving forward.
"I made a sacred and binding marriage vow 55 [and a half] years ago, and I will not break that promise," she said. "I accept and understand that God through Jesus has paid for and forgiven the sins of the world, including Philip's."
According to Christianity.com, Yancey met Janet while taking up his undergraduate degree in Columbia Bible College. They married in 1970.
In a past blog on his website, the author shared that Janet gave up her career as a social worker and hospice chaplain to travel with him and support his work.
In 2023, Yancey revealed that he has Parkinson's and that his "omnicompetent" wife takes care of his health and well-being.
