Christian author Philip Yancey confesses years-long affair and steps away from ministry

Philip Yancey acknowledged an eight-year extramarital affair and said he has "disqualified" himself from Christian ministry, announcing retirement from writing, speaking and social media. His wife issued a statement saying she will not break their 55½-year marriage and asked for prayers.

Philip Yancey, a longtime Christian author, issued a public confession to Christianity Today saying he engaged in an extramarital affair. He described the conduct as sinful and said it ran counter to his beliefs and writings. Yancey said he has "disqualified" himself from ministry and announced retirement from writing, speaking and social media. His wife, Janet Yancey, provided a statement saying she will not break their 55½-year marriage and asked for prayers. Known details: - Yancey confessed to an eight-year affair with a married woman and expressed remorse in a statement reported by Christianity Today. - He said he has confessed to his wife, committed to professional counseling and accountability, and is withdrawing from public ministry and social media. - Janet Yancey described the situation as traumatic but said she will maintain their marriage vow and requested prayer; no legal actions or external proceedings were reported. Summary: Yancey announced he will focus on rebuilding trust within his marriage and pursuing counseling, and he said he will retire from public writing and speaking. His wife asked for prayer while affirming their long marriage. Undetermined at this time.