Jerry DeWitt

[3][4] DeWitt is a former pastor of two churches surrounding DeRidder, Louisiana, a town where two-thirds of the population report membership in a faith organization.

TCP was founded by Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Linda LaScola, former preacher Dan Barker, and anonymous non-believing ministers "Adam Mann" and "Chris.

[citation needed] Following his departure from ministry and after more information emerged on DeWitt's loss of faith, he was subsequently fired from his non-ministerial job as well.

The former fundamentalist minister hosted the first meeting of the Community Mission Chapel, which DeWitt calls a "Secular Service".

In a story for the New York Times, DeWitt said, "Just because we value critical thinking and the scientific method, that doesn't mean we suddenly become disembodied and we can no longer benefit from our emotional lives.

Jerry DeWitt (left) with Larry Rhodes in 2016