For Today has announced that guitarist Mike Reynolds has left the band to enroll in bible college.
The following statement was published on the official For Today Facebook page: “Mike Reynolds is no longer a part of For Today. He has decided that now is the time for he and his wife to put their plans in motion to enroll in bible college, and to begin working toward full-time missions work in the Middle East. Mike will be replaced by long-timefriend of the band, and former In The Midst of Lions guitar player, Sam Penner, who will be appearing with the band as they headline their upcoming FIght The Silence tour.”
Reynolds’ departure comes shortly after he made a series of anti-homosexual posts on his Twitter account, which resulted in an immediate backlash from fans and members of the music industry alike.
For Today frontman Mattie Montgomery responded to the backlash in a public statement posted on YouTube. It can be viewed below.
In his series of Tweets, Reynolds claimed that there is, “no such thing as a gay Christian, the same as there is no such thing as a Christian who loves his sin” and added, “This sin with all other sins is what Jesus died for. He conquered so that we would be free.”
It appears Reynolds’ comments were in reaction to Pastor Louie Giglio’s announcement on Thursday that he would not give the benediction at President Obama’s swearing-in ceremony after a sermon he gave on homosexuality in the mid-1990s resurfaced earlier this week.
Reynolds’ first Tweet in the series contained a link to an article published on dallasvoice.com regarding the Pastor’s withdrawal from the inauguration, as well as the following remark: “There IS a state church being formed, there is going to be an exclusive acceptance of preachers who advocate the LGBT.” To which he added: “Don’t be deceived, homosexuality is a sin.”