The 89-year-old pastor, author and radio personality, who has held the Sr. pastor position since 1998, will take on the role of founding pastor effective May 1.
Jonathan Murphy, the chair and professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, will become the church’s new senior pastor, but Swindoll will continue to preach on Sundays.
According to the church, the decision to have Murphy join the staff as senior pastor was the product of two years of discernment, with Swindoll believing that “Jonathan would be a great fit for the position.”
A native of El Campo, Texas, Swindoll graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1963, earning honors like the Harry A. Ironside Award for Expository Preaching.
He has served multiple churches as a pastor. He founded Stonebriar in October 1998.
In July 1979, Swindoll, along with his wife Cynthia, started Insight for Living Ministries, a Bible study radio program that eventually spread to all 50 states and over 2,100 outlets worldwide by April 2020.
Swindoll was honored by the National Religious Broadcasters by being inducted into the Christian media organization’s Hall of Fame in 2000.