Philip Yancey, a longtime Christian author married for more than 55 years, has admitted to an eight-year extramarital affair and said he has "disqualified" himself from Christian ministry. He has confessed to God and his wife, entered professional counseling and accountability, and announced he is retiring from writing, speaking, and social media. Janet Yancey described the situation as "trauma and devastation" but said she will not break their marriage vow and requested prayer.
Philip Yancey Admits Eight-Year Extramarital Affair, Says He Has "Disqualified" Himself From Ministry
Christian author confesses years-long extramarital affair, declaring he 'disqualified' himself from ministry
Veteran Christian author Philip Yancey — married for more than 55 years — has publicly admitted to a multi-year extramarital affair and said he has "disqualified" himself from Christian ministry, according to a statement provided to Christianity Today.
Yancey did not seek to minimize or defend his actions. In the emailed statement he acknowledged the sinfulness of the relationship and the harm it caused to the other family involved, writing that his conduct "defied everything that I believe about marriage" and was "totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings."
Philip Yancey at Waterstone Community Church on April 18, 2019, in Littleton, Colorado.
"To my great shame, I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married woman. My conduct defied everything that I believe about marriage. It was also totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings and caused deep pain for her husband and both of our families. I will not share further details out of respect for the other family," he wrote, according to Christianity Today.
Yancey said he has confessed his sin to God and to his wife and has entered a program of professional counseling and accountability. He acknowledged moral and spiritual failure, expressed remorse and repentance, and said that his actions have disgraced God and disillusioned readers who trusted his work.
"Having disqualified myself from Christian ministry, I am therefore retiring from writing, speaking, and social media," Yancey wrote. "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."
Christian cross against the sky.
Yancey also shared a statement from his wife, Janet Yancey, who described the episode as one of "trauma and devastation" that only betrayed spouses can fully understand. Despite the pain, she said she will not break the marriage vow they made 55½ years ago and asked for prayer and grace.
"I, Janet Yancey, am speaking from a place of trauma and devastation that only people who have lived through betrayal can understand. Yet I made a sacred and binding marriage vow 55½ years ago, and I will not break that promise. I accept and understand that God through Jesus has paid for and forgiven the sins of the world, including Philip’s. God grant me the grace to forgive also, despite my unfathomable trauma. Please pray for us," her statement said, according to Christianity Today.
Readers may recall that Yancey previously wrote about his 2023 Parkinson’s diagnosis and publicly praised Janet’s devotion, calling her an "omnicompetent wife" who had cared for him through serious health challenges. In that earlier piece he described an incident in which Janet drove through a blizzard to retrieve him after a severe auto accident years earlier, highlighting her long-standing loyalty and caregiving role.
Yancey asked for privacy for the families involved and said he would not offer additional details about the affair out of respect for others directly affected.
Source: Christianity Today (statement provided to the outlet)
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