Mayor Jack Ellis has converted to Islam and is now in the process to change his legal name to Hakim Mansour Ellis.

Ellis, 61, a Macon, Georgia native who was raised Christian, said he became a Sunni Muslim during a December ceremony in the West African nation of Senegal.

Ellis studied the Qur'an for years and reflected on Islam not as "a new religion", but rather the religion that was practiced by his ancestors before they were brought to North America as slaves.

"Why does one become a Christian?" Ellis said recently. "You do it because it feels right. ... To me it's no big deal. But people like to know what you believe in."

New Muslims are not required to change their names but it is a practice that is considered commendable.  New Muslims usually keep their last names, including Mayor Ellis.

Ellis, whose mayoral term expires this year, said he hasn't calculated how his religious conversion might affect him politically. He said he is proud to live in a country founded on religious freedom.  "If anybody wants to know about Islam, I can hold an intelligent conversation," Ellis said. "What I've found is how little we know about the religion (of Islam)."

African Americans represent the largest segment of American Muslims, and contribute largely to the fast spread of Islam in the United States.