Dynamic Pastor Quits Leadership of Church He Helped Build : Ministry: Church officials say Tim Timmons resigned his $100,000-per-year South Coast Community Church pastorate to write, speak and work with his nonprofit corporation.

Leaders of South Coast Community Church have announced the resignation of senior pastor Tim Timmons, the dynamic minister who helped build the nondenominational church into one of Orange County’s largest.

Church officials on Monday said Timmons, who had recently taken a sabbatical, gave up the $100,000-a-year pastorate to pursue speaking engagements, writing and a full-time leadership role in his nonprofit corporation, Game Plan for Living.

Reports that 45-year-old Timmons, who is married, had become involved with another woman began circulating after he announced to a tearful congregation in July that he was taking an eight-week sabbatical.

“The truth was that he had met a gal that he knew from the area, that he had helped,” executive pastor Ed Neteland said. “They began to visit more, and he felt that that was going to go in the wrong direction and he broke it off.”

The resignation was sparked not by the reports but by Timmons’ desire to take a different direction in his work, Neteland said. Timmons was out of town and could not be reached Monday. Timmons’ wife, Carol, will continue as a family, child and marriage counselor in the church’s counseling center, and the family will continue to attend the church, Neteland said. In addition, Timmons is expected to return for guest speaking engagements, including a three-week series in December.

Born in Ohio, Timmons attended Dallas Seminary in Texas, worked with Campus Crusade for Christ and spent four years giving motivational speeches to business and corporate leaders before setting up a counseling practice in Newport Beach, Neteland said.

Ten years ago, after spending a year as pastor at Mariners Church in Newport Beach, where he lives, Timmons started South Coast Community Church as a Bible study with about 400 people at Lincoln Elementary School.

“It’s just exploded from there,” Neteland said. Today the church is one of the biggest in Orange County, with a congregation that officials say numbers more than 10,000.

While minister of South Coast Community Church, Timmons has continued speaking engagements and writing and has published several books, most recently “Anyone Anonymous,” which is based on the 12-step program made popular by Alcoholics Anonymous.

A year ago, he also started a nonprofit corporation, Game Plan for Living, a ministry that offers political leaders, educators and others speeches on how to improve in three areas--becoming a strong, healthy individual, relating to people and succeeding professionally. Timmons’ book, “Game Plan for Living--One Day at a Time,” is scheduled to be released next year, and another book, “The Culting of Christianity,” is expected before then.

“What he found was that to do all this writing and speaking was too much. He was being pulled in too many different directions,” Neteland said.

Since Timmons has left the pulpit, once-scarce parking spots on Sunday mornings have become plentiful. Neteland acknowledged that attendance has dropped but said that that is usual in August, when Timmons traditionally takes his vacation.

The true test, Neteland said, will be what happens this fall as assistant pastors continue to fill in at the pulpit.

Timmons proved a strong drawing card with his dynamic style at the pulpit and sermons laced with humor, but Neteland said people were also lured to the church by its activities and groups.

South Coast offers groups for singles, couples, college students and children in addition to drama classes, retreats, seminars and other activities.

Neteland said the board will create a task force to review candidates for senior pastor.