Best-selling author Dutch Sheets will be leaving Christ for the Nations Institute, where he returned to his alma mater in 2012 to serve as executive director. (Grace Combs)

Best-selling author Dutch Sheets announced Wednesday he will be leaving Christ for the Nations Institute (CFNI), where he returned to his alma mater in 2012 to serve as executive director. His resignation becomes effective at the end of May as the school’s spring term concludes.

During his tenure at CFNI, Sheets continued to minister and speak around the nation most weekends, as well as write books—including his latest, The Power of Hope, which released Tuesday.

He told students and staff Wednesday that the demand on his time did not allow him to give himself fully to leading the school in a way he’d like, adding that this was “a difficult decision.”

“The No. 1 passion of my life is seeing America experience a third great awakening. This has been my primary calling from God for over 20 years,” he said to CFNI staff today. “When I accepted this assignment at CFNI, I knew that calling to America would not change—that I would have to add this responsibility to what I was already doing.”

Sheets said upon arriving at CFNI he was also aware his assignment might not be long-term—though he hoped it would be longer—and called his work with students “one of the greatest joys.” He believes, however, that the Lord has given him a new assignment for America leading up to national elections in two years.