Barack Obama has resigned his 20-year membership at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago following a rash of inflammatory remarks made by his longtime pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The decision comes one day after video footage featuring a guest priest at the church making mocking comments about presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton was released online.

“This is not a decision I come to lightly … and it is one I make with some sadness…I’m not denouncing the church and I’m not interested in people who want me to denounce the church,” he said, adding that the new pastor at Trinity and “the church have been suffering from the attention my campaign has focused on them.”

The Chicago senator added that he had “no idea” how the resignation would “impact my presidential campaign, but I know its the right thing to do for the church and our family.”

“I suspect we’ll find another church home for our family. It’s clear that now that I’m a candidate for president, every time something is said in the church by anyone associated with Trinity, inlcuding guest pastors, the remarks will imputed to me even if they totally conflict with my longheld views, statements and principles,” he said.