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After much prayer and meditation over the past six months, I have shared with Bishop Lindsey Davis that I am relinquishing my status as an ordained United Methodist pastor in the North Georgia Conference. This deeply personal decision reflects my sense that God has called me to serve in a new mission role. Moreover, I believe that God has led me to a new spiritual home in the Catholic Church, so I have made provision to be received as a member into that Church. Anita plans to continue her ministry with children in the United Methodist Church, and I naturally will continue to support her and that ministry with my prayers and my regular volunteer service. I pray God's blessings on my brothers and sisters in ministry in the United Methodist Church, particularly the wonderful family of believers at Mount Pisgah.

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I appreciate very much the interest and concern. Again, this is simply a very deep, personal decision where I feel God has led me.

I have always worshipped at Catholic churches when I was on vacation because I felt at home there for a number of reasons. After leaving Mount Pisgah and my role as senior pastor, I really needed a place to worship where I could just be me. The Catholic Church is a place of solace and peace for me.

Although my family will not be making this transition with me, they are supportive and understand my need to be in a place I can actually be calm and worship.

My family and I will continue to support Mount Pisgah school and church in every way including our giving. However, my role is now different. Because our life is very public, we made a decision to be as honest and open as possible.

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This transition reflects my personal journey over the past 15 years. When on vacation, I have usually worshipped at Catholic churches because I felt most at home there. Since stepping aside from my role at Mount Pisgah, I have had the freedom to consider why I felt most at home in the Catholic Church.

To make a long story short, I do believe in the real presence of Christ in communion. That doctrine is very important to me as is the notion that Christ birthed one Church. I have struggled with both of these issues internally for a number of years. The fact that there are 30,000 branches of Christianity in America alone grieves my heart. I believe that continuing division and debate over essentials provides a poor witness to the lost about our Christian unity in the one Lord. My ministry in radio has only served to reinforce that conviction. Finally, I have always struggled with the idea I call "doctrine by democracy." I simply have not been able to get my arms around the concept that we vote on certain things to decide what is true.