Pastor Tony Evans is to marry again four years after the passing of his wife, Lois.

The popular pastor and author was married to Lois for nearly half a century until her death from cancer in December 2019.

He announced his engagement to Carla Crummie on Sunday during his 74th birthday celebration at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, the church he pastors in Dallas. 

He said, "As I come up to the fourth year of the loss of Lois, my wife of 49-and-a-half-years, it is a tender time. There are reminders everywhere of her life and her influence on me, my family, and this ministry."

He said later, "As I've tried to share the ups and downs of my life with you, I wanted to share this and give you the opportunity to meet my new fiancée, Miss Carla Crummie."

Members of Evans' family joined him at the celebration - Priscilla Shirer, Jonathan Evans, Anthony Evans Jr and Crystal Evans Hurst. 

"We are a very close family," the pastor remarked, adding that the last four years had been a "roller coaster of emotions". 

His late wife's death was "outside of our hands", he continued.

"We had to put it in the hands of a sovereign God.

"As I worked through the ups and downs of singlehood, God in His sovereignty has brought someone into my life," he said to cheers.

He went on to share that Carla has "travelled this similar road" after losing her husband around the same time that Lois passed away. 

He paid tribute to Carla and how "she has held Lois Evans high in honouring her legacy here".

"It's a sensitive time," Evans said. "During a time like this, you're also reminded of loss. And so I want your sensitivity as you pray for me as we walk through this journey, as she walks through the grief that she's had to walk through."