bishop jim swilley has been married twice and is the father of four. week ago, he moved to share that he was gay. >> i know some people think that orientation is a choice. i want to tell you that it certainly is not. >> reporter: he said he is coming out now because of gay suicides. every one, he says, is one too many. he says he hopes his truth will save a life. >> to save a teenager, i'll risk my reputation for that. as a father, i think about, you know, think about your 16-year-old, 17-year-old, killing himself. >> reporter: the suicide has changed the discussion across the country, since tyler clementi jumped off a bridge, after his roommate allegedly revealed his sexuality on the internet. there have been rallies and vigils and one man started a movement online. >> i was obviously gay. and some kids didn't like that. >> reporter: dan savage is the first video. he called the campaign "it gets better." >> hearing these kids talk about suicide, if i could have talked to them for 15 minutes or 5 minutes and told them it gets better. >> reporter: he wa

>>> bags back now with pastor swilley.ed you, what does this mean for you, as far as having a partner sexually. >> well, when i talked to the congregation that night, i said i don't know what the future holds and it's not my business. i usually don't like to answer that question, not because i have anything to hide but straight people have a tendency that orientation is just about sex and that's where a lot of the confusion comes with the church. the reason i not dance around that issue but i'm careful about how i answer it, the orientation is about much more than that. gay couples have been together for 10, 15, 20, 35 years, i got a letter from somebody yesterday who has been with his partner for 42 years. orientation is about love, it's about a world view, people who have lives, commitment, they buy houses, raise children, live lives. so straight people have a tendency to think it's just about sex and that's one reason why it's an issue in the church. >> and you think it's sort of making it sa labor shous by talking abou

. >> up next here on cnn, he has been married twice and has four kids, but pastor jim swilley has just announced that he is gay. when we come back, i'll talk to him about his decision to come out of closet now. >>> you know, it is an interview you all have been tweeting about and commenting on. the pastor of a georgia megachurch telling the congregation the secret that he's been holding all of his life, that he is gay. i want to play you some of the highlights from my in-depth conversation with him. listen. >> after i knew that devon was going to divorce me and we had to say something about it and i was neither denying nor confirming anything that people were speculating, and people started asking me about certain things. they heard rumors that i left her for a man or there was some scandal. there wasn't. still, i just -- as a matter of fact, she encouraged me a long time ago to say something about it and i said, look, these words will never come out of my mouth, but when the -- something about there was like four or five, six suicides right in a matter of days, and the young man that

. >> up next here on cnn, he has been married twice and has four kids, but pastor jim swilley has just is gay. when we come back, i'll talk to him about his decision to come out of closet now. [ wind howling ] [ technician ] are you busy? management just sent over these new technical manuals. they need you to translate them into portuguese. by tomorrow. [ male announcer ] ducati knows it's better for xerox to manage their global publications. so they can focus on building amazing bikes. with xerox, you're ready for real business. were not like everyone else. because, you see, they had something most did not. they had a tree... a tree that bore the most rare and magical fruit, which they tended to, and in return, it provided for their every financial need. [ thunder rumbling ] [ wind rushing ] [ thunder crashing ] and then, in one blinding blink of an eye, their tree had given its last. but all was not lost. you see, they were clever enough, with the help of their raymond james financial advisor, to have prepared for even the unthinkable. ♪ and they danced. life well planned. see what a

. >> last night pastor swilley appeared live with don lemon.e hardest parts of his coming out was dealing with the effect it had on his wife. for awhile his wife thought she wasn't attractive. >> i said look, you're a beautiful woman. there's nothing wrong with you. you're a desirable woman, and you know, the part of me that's her husband wants to still feel like you're my wife, you shouldn't be with anybody else. the part of me that is her friend wants her to be happy in a way that she's known for some time i could not provide that for her. we have a great mutual respect, a great synergy in working together, but there comes a point in your life where you say, how much time do we have left in our lives, are we going to be authentic? >> pastor swilley says the two, he and his wife remain incredibly great friends and church partners. >>> let me turn back to nadia bilchik, always interesting stories you bring to us. construction projects go overbudget and over their time line. 127 years a church has been under construction? >> yes, the sagrada fam

. >> up next here on cnn, he has been married twice and has four kids, but pastor jim swilley has justhe is gay. when we come back, i'll talk to him about his decision to come out of closet now. >> here's what i want to do. [ manager ] you know... i've been looking at the numbers, and i think our campus is spending too much money on printing. i'd like to put you in charge of cutting costs. calm down. i know that it is not your job. what i'm saying... excuse me? alright, fine. no, you don't have to do it. ok? [ male announcer ] notre dame knows it's better for xerox to control its printing costs. so they can focus on winning on and off the field. [ manager ] are you sure i can't talk -- ok, no, i get it. [ male announcer ] with xerox, you're ready for real business. were not like everyone else. because, you see, they had something most did not. they had a tree... a tree that bore the most rare and magical fruit, which they tended to, and in return, it provided for their every financial need. [ thunder rumbling ] [ wind rushing ] [ thunder crashing ] and then, in one blinding blink of an

. >> jim swilley says he came out with the truth hoping to change people's attitudes.s ago. seemed the stereotypical pastor, father of four and his wife debbie, associate pastor, was by his side. >> i know a lot of straight people think orientation is a choice. i want to tell you it certainly is not. >> reporter: he says he told debbie he was gay from the start. >> he said, i love you. we'll work this out. >> reporter: they kept their secret 21 years and divorced earlier this year. debbie wanted jim to go public. >> your whole ministry is about people being who they are. god loves you who you are. we're not real. >> reporter: he told his kids and his congregation and knew he might risk everything but told me the recent rash of gay teen suicides pushed him over the edge. >> as a father, think about, you know, think about your 16-year-old, 17-year-old killing themself. >> reporter: he says he's received support from many in his congregation but reaction on at least one conservative christian blog has been fierce calling him sick, twisted, unclean, an instrument of the de