Mannoia, who was named president in July 1999,initiated a series wrenching changes and presided over a time of financial difficulties. Mannoia says he resigned at the executive committee's urging. "I wouldn't have done this if I didn't sense that this is what the committee wanted," Mannoia told Christianity Today.

NAE, founded in 1942, is a fellowship of more than 50 denominations. With offices in California and in Washington D.C., NAE has a membership of approximately 43,000 congregations nationwide.

The group has recently undergone dramatic change, including a decision in March 2000 to allow member organizations that belong to the National Council of Churches (NCC), a more liberal group, to have joint membership in the NAE. Mannoia, 45, has said that the goal to was move his organization's identity from a group that provides alternatives to theological liberalism to a group that encourages churches to transform communities. NAE's conciliatory stance toward the NCC sparked controversy among NAE supporters.

Under Mannoia's prompting, NAE eventually rewrote its bylaws and relocated from Carol Stream, Illinois, to Azusa, California (near Los Angeles)—two decisions that further served to alter the group's profile. These moves caused some NAE supporters to reevaluate their relationship with NAE. The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) broke long-standing ties with the organization last spring.

Yet, in a press release issued yesterday, Edward Foggs, chair of NAE's board, praised Mannoia for the courageous changes he has initiated as president. Some of these changes have created substantial financial pressures ...