John McKinzie, Pastor of Hope Fellowship Church in North Texas, resigns after confessing to “sexual sin and moral failure”

Photo: Pastor John McKinzie (Instagram screengrab)

Hope Fellowship Church, a prominent multi-campus congregation in North Texas, is navigating a season of transition following the resignation of its founding pastor, John McKinzie.

McKinzie, who established Hope Fellowship in 2000 and led it to become one of the largest churches in the region, confessed to a pattern of “sexual sin and moral failure” during a meeting with church leadership on September 14. According to church officials, the behavior—described as consensual but involving multiple breaches of trust over several years, permanently disqualifies him from serving in pastoral ministry.

Hope Fellowship, which welcomes between 8,000 and 9,000 attendees weekly across campuses in Frisco, McKinney, and Prosper, announced the news in an email to members on September 16. The statement expressed “devastation and heartbreak” over the events while affirming the church’s commitment to transparency, healing, and care for its congregation. Leaders emphasized that no staff members had prior knowledge of McKinzie’s misconduct and confirmed that no minors were involved.

In a follow-up letter to the congregation, read aloud by interim leaders a week later, McKinzie acknowledged his disqualification from ministry: "My actions have disqualified me from spiritual leadership. There is no doubt about that fact," he wrote. "Please respect my decision. This is the right thing for me, my family, and for Hope Fellowship. I ask you to forgive me for violating your trust."

The church is currently being led by co-interim pastors Angela Linz and Aaron Alexander, who are working alongside the elder board to guide the congregation forward. They have also consulted with local authorities to ensure full integrity in the process, noting that if any reportable offenses are identified, they will be disclosed immediately. To date, no such reports have been made.

Hope Fellowship remains focused on supporting its members during this transition. Leaders have called for prayer and continued trust to restore and strengthen the church community.

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