Dr. Tony Evans is ‘heartbroken’ over the sudden passing of his 38-year-old niece Wynter Pitts
Article By Rebecca Johnson // EEW Magazine News
The 38-year-old niece of pastor, author and scholar, Dr. Tony Evans, died suddenly Tuesday night and the leader, who shared the news on Instagram, said he is “heartbroken.”
Wynter Pitts, founder of Christian magazine, For Girls Like You, leaves behind four daughters and a husband.
Dr. Evans, founder of The Urban Alternative and author of Detours: The Unpredictable Path to Your Destiny, said Pitts “loved her family with a deep commitment,” and that she was “bright, loyal, generous, diligent, and simply a delight. A treasured part of our family.”
He continued, “While I will miss her terribly and am heartbroken at the sudden loss of her life here on earth, I am encouraged to know that ‘to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,’” citing 2 Corinthians 5:8.
According to Dr. Evans, "Her heart stopped beating."
Pitts, a Dallas, Texas resident, was reared in the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland by a single mom. Her father was addicted to drugs and her neighborhood was infested with drugs and crime. But Pitts said in an interview with 100 Huntley Street earlier this year that her family life was stabilized by strong faith in God’s word.
It is this very faith that will anchor her children and devastated husband of 15 years, Jonathan Pitts. The widower wrote on Instagram, “Last night, Wynter was taken from us suddenly but we know that she was only taken into the hands of the God that she loves with her whole heart.”
The Pitts family (Photo credit: Instagram)
Pitts, Executive Director of Dr. Evans’ ministry, co-authored She is Yours: Trusting God as You Raise the Girl He Gave You with his wife in 2017.
He continued, “Though we grieve, we are doing so with hope. And though we hurt, her life and her legacy will continue on through each one of us, especially my four daughters. Thank you for your prayers, specifically for them.”
The eldest daughter of the deceased, Alena, who was featured in the movie War Room, wrote a message on Instagram about her mom’s passing, too.
“My heart hurts like never before. Comfort seems far. Anxiety is extremely present. It still feels like a dream that I will wake up from soon. I will remember those thirty minutes for the rest of my life. And I will remember the pain I felt as I found out,” she said.
Alena went on to say, “But the surgeon who was on site who is also a family friend repeated this phrase to me as I walked down that hospital hallway. And for some reason I couldn’t forget them.
“As they told me my mom had passed, these words continued and still continue to pound in my head. ‘I’m gonna tell you something I need you never to forget, ok? You serve a big God. A big God. Don’t you ever forget that.’
“I serve a big God. Obstacles will be thrown at me but my God is still there. He knows what he’s doing and he’s got a plan. … I continue to ask myself why me. Why did He choose my family?
“But I’m reminded He’s in control. So even as I weep and grieve, I can smile with joy because I’ll see her again.”
The family has set up a Go Fund Me account to help with expenses.
Watch the interview Jonathan and Wynter Pitts sat down for in January 2018 below.