“My husband, my best friend has bravely shared his deepest truth this past year. He is gay. While this doesn’t change how much we love him, it does change our relationship. We are moving forward with ending our marriage, while remaining deeply committed to our family and each other.”

Christian children’s book author Matthew Paul Turner on Friday announced he was gay and that he and his wife, Jessica Turner, are filing for a divorce.

Turner, who is the former editor of CCM magazine and best-known for his rhyming children’s books, posted the news on social media.

“Dear friends, I have difficult news to share. After much thought, prayer, and counseling, Jessica and I have made the decision to end our marriage,” Turner wrote. “While we’re best friends and thoroughly love doing life, parenting, and pursuing our dreams together, ending our marriage is necessary because I am gay.”

Turner revealed that despite his current feelings of “sadness and grief,” he is ready to “embrace freedom, hope, and God as a gay man.”

“Being gay isn’t a new discovery for me. However, as someone who spent 30+ years in fundamentalist/evangelical churches, exploring God through conservative theologies, I’ve lived many days overwhelmed by fear, shame, and self-hatred,” Turner said. “Though my own faith evolved long ago to become LGBTQ+ affirming, my journey toward recognizing, accepting, and embracing myself took much longer.”

Jessica Turner, who is also a writer and the founder of The Mom Creative, also shared a Facebook post Friday morning, saying her family is learning to adjust to a “new normal.”

“My husband, my best friend has bravely shared his deepest truth this past year. He is gay. While this doesn’t change how much we love him, it does change our relationship. We are moving forward with ending our marriage, while remaining deeply committed to our family and each other,” her post reads.

Read More