Guitarist Bryan Olesen has announced that he will be leaving the Newsboys to focus on his band Casting Pearls full-time.

The announcement was made last Wednesday after, “much discussion and prayerful consideration,” from Oleson and the Newsboys, according to the Casting Pearls website.

“These past few years have been an amazing gift in having been able to learn from, perform, and work with Newsboys. I have cherished every second and every show, but I am ultimately excited about what is in-store for Casting Pearls,” said Olesen.

Oleson explained that it has been “increasingly difficult” for him to split his time between both bands and his family, and said that both he and Newsboys frontman and founder Peter Furler felt that Oleson’s departure from the Newsboys, “would be the best path for both bands.”

“I see unique talents in Bryan that I rarely see in the music world,” Furler commented, “and I feel we would be doing an injustice to Casting Pearls’ and Newsboys’ ministries to hold Bryan in Newsboys.”

The Newsboys released on their website the following collective statement regarding Oleson’s departure:

“We wish Bryan and his family the best! We have had many great shows around the world with him, many lifetime memories. This decision was a tough one, but between recording and touring commitments and above all, the importance of family, it seems to be the right decision. We will be announcing his replacement shortly.”

According to the Casting Pearls’ website, both bands are, “mutually excited about the opportunities to come and to continue being able to perform and work together in the future.”