SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ABP) — Prolific Christian author Max Lucado has announced plans to step down as senior pastor of his San Antonio megachurch due to a heart ailment.
In a March 5 letter addressed to members of Oak Hills Church, Lucado said he hed begun easing away from his duties as senior minister. The 51-year-old pastor is reportedly suffering from heart arrhythmia.
“While my spiritual heart is in a wonderful state, my physical heart has developed some irregularities,” Lucado wrote. “We have high hopes for complete healing; yet, I need to make some lifestyle adjustments.”
Lucado is in good physical shape, but he told the Associated Press he began feeling dizzy last summer, which led to the diagnosis. The condition often causes extreme fatigue in sufferers.
In the letter, Lucado also said he plans to continue preaching on weekends for a time but will opt out of weekly meetings. The church has also inaugurated a succession plan for a new senior minister.
“I have no intention of leaving this great church, but simply altering my role in it,” he wrote. “Yes, this is a major step, but one that will benefit the health of us all.”
According to the AP, Lucado said he plans to increase his writing to produce at least one new book each year. His previous books, including Just Like Jesus and When God Whispers Your Name, have sold more than 40 million copies.
Since 1985, he has authored or contributed to 80 books. Although he is best-known for adult spiritual-formation books, he has also written several children's works.
An Abilene Christian University graduate, Lucado became pastor of the 5,000-member church in 1988. Although it was historically affiliated with the Churches of Christ, the congregation's website now describes it as “non-denominational.”
— Robert Marus contributed to this story.
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