ARGYLE, Texas — In a letter to church members, Elders at Cross Timbers Church announced two longtime staff members have resigned from their roles at the Denton County church.
Founding pastors Brian Hackney and his wife, Jamie, who served on staff for over 20 years, submitted their resignation on Aug. 15.
Amy Smith, who writes the Watch Keep blog and is an advocate for sexual abuse victims, posted a screenshot of the statement on X, formerly known as Twitter on Wednesday.
In recent months, Brian and Jamie Hackney have “sensed” their employment through the church was “coming to a close and decided that now is the time to make their departure" the statement says.
The Hackneys were “instrumental” in the growth of the church, founded in 2000, the church wrote.
Their last day serving on staff will be Sunday, Aug. 25, and have encouraged church members to visit them. However, their official last day would be Saturday, Aug. 31.
"Although there have been a series of transitions, we want you to know that our Elders and Leadership team have a renewed energy, and our staff has a forward-facing posture," the church wrote.
The Hackneys’ resignations come after the church’s executive pastor Byron Copeland and lead pastor Josiah Anthony also stepped down.
In late July, Anthony was asked to step down by church elders after being accused of "inappropriate," "excessively personal" and sometimes "sexual in nature" communication with multiple women, including one who was a former staff member.
A few weeks later, the Argyle church said executive pastor Byron Copeland announced his decision to resign.
After Anthony and Copeland's departure, the church appointed founder Toby Slough as interim lead pastor until a permanent replacement could be found.
