Paul Crouch Jr. is leaving the Christian broadcasting network his parents pioneered 38 years ago.
Sources familiar with the matter told Charisma News that a memo was circulated to employees on Monday afternoon announcing the decision. Trinity Broadcasting Network legal counsel and national spokesman Colby May confirmed Crouch’s departure on Tuesday.
“Paul Jr. has resigned from the organization to pursue other ministry work,” May told Charisma News. “A memo was circulated yesterday at the network advising people that he’s leaving. I don’t know the specifics of his ministry plans.”
The eldest son of TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch, Crouch served as vice president and chief of staff at TBN. Along with his brother, Matt Crouch, Crouch is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the network. May says Paul Crouch Sr. will take over the chief of staff duties until a permanent replacement is found.
The younger Paul Crouch often hosted TBN’s flagship program, Praise the Lord. He also hosted Behind the Scenes. Known as “PJ” by his friends, Crouch was recently named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Christians in America by the Church Report.
Most recently, Crouch pioneered a new online service that aims to deliver TBN’s best programming—both past and present—to Web audiences all over the world. Dubbed iTBN, the platform rolled out in September.
“Nearly 40 years ago, my parents helped introduce Christian television to America and the world,” Crouch said when iTBN was annnounced. “And today there’s a new generation of viewers who are poised to take Christian television’s popularity and extend it to the digital age, where they’re not tied down to broadcast schedules and big-box TV sets. They can watch what they want, when and where they want to watch it.”
Featured on more than 5,000 television stations, 33 satellites, the Internet and thousands of cable systems around the world, TBN is the world’s largest Christian television network. TBN produces more original Christian programs than any other religious network and is a recognized leader in the production of major Christian movies.
Watch Charisma’s interview with Crouch filmed Aug. 25 below:
