Philip Yancey Confesses Affair, Announces Retirement

Philip Yancey, a prominent Christian author known for his explorations of faith and grace, confessed on January 6, 2026, to engaging in an eight-year extramarital affair with a married woman, announcing his immediate retirement from writing, speaking, and public ministry.

In a statement emailed to Christianity Today, Yancey, 76, described the affair as a willful sin that contradicted his beliefs about marriage and his own writings. "To my great shame, I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married woman," he wrote. "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." Yancey said he would not provide further details to respect the other family involved.

Yancey, who has been married to Janet Yancey for 55 years, stated that he had confessed the affair to 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," he added. "I realize that my actions will disillusion readers who have previously...