By Jasmine Salvesen
W. Grant McMurray, president of the Community of Christ, formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, resigned from his position and requested a release from the priesthood Monday.
In his letter of resignation, McMurray, 57, said he had done his very best to fulfill his responsibilities in accordance to the needs of the church and feels he has been blessed.
Although McMurray cited his recent diagnosis of Parkinson''s disease and the need to devote more attention to his physical health as reasons, he also mentioned his struggle over several years with personal and family issues that have impacted his ability to function completely in his office and calling. The letter was addressed to Peter A. Judd and Kenneth N. Robinson, two members of the church''s first presidency.
'Along the way I have made some inappropriate choices, and the circumstances of my life are now such that I cannot continue to effectively lead the church,' McMurray wrote.
The church tradition provides a departing president the right to designate a successor, but McMurray declined. The counselors will lead the church until a successor is chosen. The next Community of Christ World Conference is not scheduled until 2006, but church leaders said a conference might be called earlier because of the resignation.
There are 250,000 members of the Community of Christ in 50 countries.
Susan Black, BYU religion professor in church history and doctrine, said she knew McMurray and was shocked by the announcement.
'I hope all is well and I will be praying for my friends that are in that church,' Black said.
Black said she doesn''t know if McMurray''s resignation will have any effect on the LDS Church or members of the Community of Christ. Currently, the Community of Christ church still owns many LDS historical church sites, such as the Kirtland temple.
According to The Associated Press, McMurray is a native of Canada who moved to Independence, Mo. as a teenager. He spent 33 years as a full-time minister for the church and became a member of the First Presidency four years before being ordained as president of the church in April 1996.
McMurray was the first president of the church who is not a descendant of Joseph Smith Jr., according to The Examiner, a newspaper based in Missouri.
During his tenure, the church opened its first seminary, hired about 200 new ministers and expanded operations to parts of the world it had not served before. For the first time, women gained a place on the governing counsel, with three of them elected to serve, according to The Associated Press.
'I would think that there are many of us who express concern for him, his health and his family and wish him well,' Black said.