The lead singer of a major Christian rock band who is also the son of a pastor just shocked his fans by announcing that he no longer believes in God.

“I’ve been terrified to post this for a while– but it feels like it’s time for me to be honest,” Jon Steingard, the frontman for the band Hawk Nelson, wrote in a long post on social media. “After growing up in a Christian home, being a pastor’s kid, playing and singing in a Christian band, and having the word ‘Christian’ in front of most of the things in my life — I am now finding that I no longer believe in God.”

When Steingard switched from guitarist to lead singer of the band in 2012, they switched things up from fast-paced punk rock to more contemporary Christian music with songs like “Drops in the Ocean.” Steingard explained that he can now “no longer sing” these songs in good conscience.

“This is not a post I ever thought that I would write, but now I feel like I really need to,” Steingard wrote, adding that his loss of faith did not happen overnight. Instead, it came about after he began asking difficult questions about God, the Bible, and his upbringing in a Christian home.

View this post on Instagram

I’ve been terrified to post this for a while – but it feels like it’s time for me to be honest. I hope this is not the end of the conversation, but the beginning. I hope this is encouraging to people who might feel the same but are as afraid to speak as I am. I want to be open. I want to be transparent with you all – and also open to having my heart changed in the future. I am not looking for a debate at all – just a chance to share my story in the hopes some good can come from it. I love you all.

A post shared by Jon Steingard (@jonsteingard) on May 20, 2020 at 1:51pm PDT

Steingard did make sure to add, “I’m open to the idea that God is there. I’d prefer if he was. I suspect if he is there, he is very different than what I was taught.”

Instead of being hit with backlash, Steingard received messages of support from his fellow Christian singers.

“Love you bro. Always will,” said Jeremy Camp, whose story is portrayed in the Christian film I Still Believe.

“Man I love that you shared this,” commented Tenth Avenue North singer Mike Donehey. “You know I’m always around to talk about our belief in God or lack thereof. Love you and always will.”

Former lead singer of Sanctus Real Matt Hammitt said, “To echo so many others here, I have nothing but love in my heart for your old friend.”

This comes one year after “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” author Joshua Harris renounced his Chrisian faith in a shocking post on Instagram, writing, “I am not a Christian.”