Argyle church's lead pastor asked to resign after "inappropriate communications"

ARGYLE – The lead pastor of a North Texas church stepped down last month , citing mental health issues and alleged inappropriate actions toward church members.

Josiah Anthony, the lead pastor of Cross Timbers Church in Argyle, has been "in a prolonged, and sustained season of struggle with his emotional, and mental health, which has been very painful for him, and those around him," the church said in a statement. The church said he has been open about his struggles in his preaching.

A letter from elders obtained by CBS News Texas revealed that before Anthony entered his annual sabbatical, they received a "concerning report of inappropriate communication on social media with a woman" who was a former member of the church.

The letter continued to say that Anthony suggested his actions were a result of his struggles but elders discovered that he had a "concerning pattern of behavior communicating inappropriately with women."

On July 2, elders were made aware of "inappropriate communication that was not sexual, but it was excessively personal, and overly familiar with a former staff member." Elders then asked for Anthony to resign and he agreed.

After Anthony resigned, elders learned about more inappropriate comments he made via text messages and social media that they said were sexual in nature.

"We want to be very clear, we do not consider any of these instances to be emotional affairs," the elders said. "Because the power dynamic of these interactions were never equal, we do not consider these to be consensual. This behavior will not be tolerated at our church."

The church didn't mention their plans to replace Anthony.