The editor in chief of Christianity Today, who caused waves in December in a controversial editorial calling for President Donald Trump's removal from office, has announced he is retiring Friday.
»PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Christian publication says President Trump should be removed from office
Mark Galli went on Twitter to announce his departure on New Year’s Eve.
“Well, my retirement is a couple of days away,” Galli wrote. “Will be posting here more often now that I have more time on my hands. Well, given last week, maybe not.”
On Wednesday, the magazine also confirmed Galli's departure, but said he would continue to publish a weekly newsletter.
Galli’s editorial, titled “Trump Should Be Removed From Office,” appeared Dec. 19 in Christianity Today, the national publication for Evangelical Christians founded by the late Rev. Billy Graham in 1956.
In it, Galli called Trump “profoundly immoral” one day after the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against Trump.
Many liberals praised Galli's editorial as courageous, but hundreds of evangelical leaders came out against the piece, saying his anti-Trump position “offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations.”
»RELATED: Evangelical tussling over anti-Trump editorial escalates
According to FOX News, Galli also faced criticism from Graham’s son, the Rev. Franklin Graham.
“My father knew Donald Trump, believed in Donald Trump, and in this last election, he voted for Donald Trump,” the son of the late pastor said to FOX News in December. “And if he were here today, I'm sure he would tell you that himself.”
The president also disavowed the editorial on Twitter.
Galli had been known for calling Trump’s leadership and morality into question in the past.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Galli told his readers to “not be silent about Donald Trump’s blatant immorality,” writing that the candidate was “the very embodiment of what the Bible calls a fool.”
And, in April 2017, Galli wrote another editorial titled “What to do with Donald Trump’s soul” saying, “the gospel of Jesus Christ casts the behavior of Trump in a transcendent light, and that light looks to us like darkness.”
In his last editorial, Galli said evangelical Christians should "interpret the news in a manner that reflects their faith."
“The facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents," he wrote. "That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.”
A day after publishing the editorial, the magazine reported it had lost 600 of its roughly 80,000 subscribers and received countless messages from Trump supporters who opposed Galli's stance. Galli, on the other hand, said the magazine gained 1,800 new subscribers after his editorial was published, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The 67-year-old California native has been the editor for the Illinois-based magazine for seven years. He previously announced his departure in October and maintains that the timing of his exit was not due to the explosive editorial.
Christianity Today CEO Dr. Timothy Dalrymple voiced his support for Galli in the wake of the controversy.
“Galli has stood in the trenches for men and women of faith for over three decades. He has been an outstanding editor in chief. While he does not speak for everyone in the ministry — our board and our staff hold a range of opinions — he carries the editorial voice of the magazine,” Dalrymple said. “We support CT’s editorial independence and believe it’s vital to our mission for the editor in chief to speak out on the issues of the day.”
Dr. Daniel Harrell, a longtime minister and author, has since been announced as Galli's successor.
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