DENVER - Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard's former church disclosed Friday that the gay sex scandal that caused his downfall extends to a young male church volunteer who reported having a sexual relationship with Haggard - a revelation that comes as Haggard tries to repair his public image.
Brady Boyd, who succeeded Haggard as senior pastor of the 10,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, told The Associated Press that the man came forward to church officials in late 2006 shortly after a Denver male prostitute claimed to have had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with Haggard.
Boyd said an "overwhelming pool of evidence" pointed to an "inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship" that "went on for a long period of time ... it wasn't a one-time act." Boyd said the man was in his early 20s at the time. He said he was certain the man was of legal age when it began.
Reached Friday night, Haggard declined to comment and said all interviews would have to be arranged through a publicist for HBO, which is airing a documentary about him this month.
Boyd said the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly.
Boyd said a Colorado Springs TV station reached him Thursday to say the young man was planning to provide a detailed report of his relationship with Haggard to the station. Boyd said the church preferred to keep the matter private, but it was the man's decision to go public.
The disclosure comes as Haggard, 52, is about to give a series of high-profile interviews to promote the cable documentary about his time in exile. He is scheduled to appear on CNN's Larry King Live on Thursday, the date of the documentary's premiere, and already has taped "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
In early 2007, New Life Church disclosed that an investigation uncovered new evidence that Haggard engaged in "sordid conversation" and "improper relationships" - but didn't go into detail. Earlier, a church board member had said there was no evidence that Haggard had sexual relations with anyone but Mike Jones, the former male prostitute.
Haggard confessed to undisclosed "sexual immorality" after Jones' allegations and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and from New Life Church, where he faced being fired.
Anticipating criticism of the settlement with the former church volunteer, Boyd said Friday that it was in the best interests of all involved. He would not name the volunteer or the settlement amount.
"It wasn't at all a settlement to make him be quiet or not tell his story," Boyd said. "Our desire was to help him. Here was a young man who wanted to get on with his life. We considered it more compassionate assistance - certainly not hush money. I know what's what everyone will want to say because that's the most salacious thing to say, but that's not at all what it was."
He said that "secondarily, it's not great for our church either" that the story be told. Boyd said Haggard knew about the settlement two years ago.
In a letter e-mailed Friday to New Life Church members, Boyd said of the settlement and agreement not to talk:
"This decision was made not as an attempt to conceal wrongdoings, but to protect him from those who would seek to exploit him. His actions now suggest that he has changed his mind."
The letter said the church "received reports of a number of incidents of inappropriate behavior" after Haggard's fall.
"In each case, we have tried our very best to do the right thing each time, including disciplinary action when appropriate."
Boyd said the "inappropriate behavior" referred to the man who was the volunteer involved with Haggard. After Haggard's fall, another church staff member resigned after admitting to what was described as "sexual misconduct."
Boyd said the church will not take action against the man if he tells his story in the press.
"We have legal standing to do that, but not the desire to," he said.
Boyd said he had spoken to the man once and came away with the impression that he was speaking out because of the documentary. "I think what caused this young man to be a bit aggravated was Ted being seen as a victim, when he himself had experienced a great deal of hurt," Boyd said. "I seriously doubt this man would have come forward if the documentary had not been made."
In an AP interview this month before an appearance in front of TV critics in California, Haggard described his sexuality as complex and something that can't be put into "stereotypical boxes."
UPDATE: Haggard tells his "Restoration Team" to take a hike!
Press Release from Haggard's replacement, Brady Boyd:
Dear New Life Church family and friends,
Today, our church's board of trustees will release a statement regarding the end of the restoration process for Ted Haggard. This process may receive some media attention, and I want you to hear of it from us before you read about it in the newspaper or hear it on the evening news.
Let's continue to pray for Ted, Gayle, and their family.
God bless you,
Brady Boyd Senior Pastor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ted Haggard's leadership of New Life Church for many years was extraordinary and the depth of spiritual maturity that is found today in the church is in large part attributed to his leadership as the founding senior pastor.
In January 2007, Ted Haggard voluntarily agreed to enter a process of spiritual restoration. He has selected Phoenix First Assembly and Pastor Tommy Barnett as his local church fellowship and is maintaining an accountability relationship there. He has recently requested to end his official relationship with the New Life Church Restoration Team and this has been accepted by them.
New Life Church recognizes the process of restoring Ted Haggard is incomplete and maintains its original stance that he should not return to vocational ministry. However, we wish him and his family only success in the future.
Because spiritual restoration is a necessarily confidential process, the church does not anticipate that it, or its Overseers or Restorers will make further comment about it.
I'll be honest with you, I sincerely feel sorry for Ted Haggard. He has lost everything. One day he's on top of the world and the next, he's in the gutter. Like the guy from Nacho Libre said, "It sucks to be me!" Although I feel sorry for Haggard, this may not be the best time to drop our guard. Even the three+ members of Haggard's "restoration team" (a group of pastors designated to help Haggard get his life back on track) have said that they will require Haggard to spill the beans and then take a polygraph test to "gauge his honesty."
So with that in mind, let's take a closer look at Ted Haggard's confession...
Firstly, can you really call it a confession? Did he really admit to what he did? Not really. He admits that he did commit "sexual immorality" and that he is a deceiver and a liar. Ted Haggard, your male prostitute (MP) said you had sex and drugs every month for three years. You said he was a liar. So which is it? Did you have sex with your MP or not. You did not clarify this issue. So is your MP still a liar or are you? By claiming that he was lying in some way, you may still be impugning his character. Granted, the guy is a MP, but so far, he's been telling the truth and you have been denying the truth. And we are not asking for any of the gory details, like who was the boy and who was the girl. We just want to know the truth! You keep saying the MP is still lying...about what?
You can see into Ted Haggard's heart of hearts by looking closely at the words he chose. He refers to his MP as his "accuser." Accuser? He was your lover, he was your drug supplier and he outed you...but "accuser?" The implication is that Ted Haggard's MP was "accusing" him of something that he did not do. We deserve to know what is true and what was a false accusation. You had the chance to really come clean but you chose a sponge bath instead.
Secondly, Ted Haggard you say that you have struggled with homosexuality all your life. So are you saying that you have been a hypocrite from your first day in the ministry? Was this your first homosexual affair? How bad were you addicted to drugs? You were with our children for 30 years...DID YOU MOLEST ANY OF THEM? Are we now going to have to endure a parade of people coming out of the closet claiming that you molested them? If so, tell us now. It's a lot easier to forgive when the info willingly comes from the perpetrator rather than forcing the victims to go public.
Thirdly, we need to know what the new leaders are going to do about the other homosexual pastors that are still on staff. I believe you know who the other homosexual pastors are, but if you do not, we can help you flush them out. It would be best to clean house now, rather than having to suffer through another meltdown later. UPDATE: http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1327859
Keep in mind, the Board placed three of Ted Haggard's best buddies in charge of his restoration process (James Dobson, Jack Hayford and Tommy Barnett). These are three guys that have known Haggard for 20 or 30 years. Now, they either knew he was gay or they didn't. If they knew, then the "restoration" will be just for show. If they didn't know that he was gay, after being around him for 20 or 30 years, are these guys really qualified? If Haggard has been giving these guys a snow job for 30 years, what makes anyone think that he can't keep it up? They should at least add a couple of guys that would be more objective, who are not too pro or too con. H.B. London of Focus on the Family says, "The process will demand honesty from Haggard and determination from his overseers. It cannot be just a matter of friendship. It will have to become almost a confrontational relationship. You've got to confess your sins and you've got to have a group of people around you who will not let you whitewash the issue."
UPDATE: Dobson drops out of the restoration process!
On 11/6/06 Dobson said on the Focus on the Family radio show, "I believe the Lord is leading me to participate." Two days later, Dobson says, "I don't have the time." Either Dobson is a fair weather friend, or he may doubt Haggard's sincerity. Some have even wondered if Dobson dropped out because he has his own skeletons in the closet...
Lastly, we want to encourage you (Ted Haggard) to be honest with yourself. You referred to your actions as "foolishness." Granted, what you did was foolish, but let's call a spade a spade. You have always declared that the Scriptures teach that homosexuality is an abomination. I don't ever remember hearing you categorize homosexuality as foolishness.
You said, "The public person I was wasn't a lie; it was just incomplete." You are wrong. The image you projected was a complete lie. When you condemn homosexuality from the pulpit but you are doing the Wild Thing with your MP in your free time...that is the very definition of hypocrisy. Until you are willing to admit that, you are still just fooling yourself, no one else.
The thought that you paid for drugs and homosexual sex with money you claimed was "given to God" is simply repulsive. Which brings up another concern having to do with money. Ted Haggard has always been obsessed with money. He has produced several books (ghost written by other people) that were just blatant money makers. His latest was The Jerusalem Diet ("How to Make Your Fat Friends Happy"). He has taught the members of his congregation that they will go to Hell if they start a charity instead of giving their tithe money to him (documented and on tape). So what was Haggard's first parting advice? "Stay faithful to God through service and giving." Good advice, but leave it to Ted Haggard to make money his first priority. For those who don't know Haggard, "giving" means "tithing." We don't blame Haggard for not wanting to see New Life Church crumble away from a lack of funds. It's bad enough to see these people suffer as it is, but if New Life falls apart, many more will be hurt. But could there be an ulterior motive in Ted Haggard's plea to continue tithing to New Life? The congregation deserves to know that he is still on the payroll. Will he receive a pension, even though he was dishonorably discharged? Some members of New Life will want him to get the money, some won't, but they all deserve to know. Haggard has defrauded people out of millions of dollars. If you knew he was a homosexual drug addict, would you have supported his church and bought his books? Some are asking, "Why should the guys from Enron have to go to jail, but Haggard gets to run free as a bird living off my past contributions? Corruption is corruption! Haggard is a multi-millionaire and for 20 years has bilked me out of my tithe money, for what? So he could go spend it on drugs and boyfriends? Ted knows that we are "required" to forgive him, so he was just playing the system. Why not? If he gets caught he knows we have to forgive him. This whole thing makes me sick!" (segments of an e-mail dated 11-11-06)
New Life leaders say they haven't made up their mind yet on this issue. The key here is to make all decisions public (having to do with Haggard) and this includes selecting his replacement. Bill Martin, from Rice University says, "Many megachurhces have boards stacked with relatives, friends, personal lawyers and hangers-on who wouldn't dare contradict the pastor. The pitfall with these personality driven churches, is it's so easy for the pastor to consider himself above accountability. If that accountability is absent or reduced, then trouble is on the way."
We encourage the leaders at New Life and the rest of the Body of Christ to show Mercy and Grace to Ted Haggard and his family through this great trial, but only if he is willing to be open, honest and transparent. So far, that has not happened. My advice to the members of New Life is to withhold all financial support until Haggard truly confesses and the new leadership exposes the other homosexuals on staff.
This letter was hard to write and I'm sure it is disconcerting to read. It seems like we are being harsh and unforgiving. The reality is that there is still a lot of posturing going on. Ted Haggard and New Life have been playing games for over 30 years. The time has come to stop the shenanigans and be open and honest. Ted Haggard's letter of confession stops short of hitting the mark. It's like putting a glass of water just beyond the reach of someone dying of thirst. We just want to put this whole ordeal behind us, start the recovery process, and move on with our lives. But until the repentance is complete, our recovery (and Haggard's) will always be in jeopardy. Keep in mind, Haggard has been a closet homosexual for 30 years. He admits to being a "liar and a deceiver." Notice he didn't say I WAS a liar; he said I AM a liar. Don't be so gullible as to think his confession has transformed him overnight. When Jimmy Swaggart fell, he was right back at his carnal ways within days. When Jim Bakker fell, his repentance seemed more lasting and genuine. Based on Ted Haggard's confession of being a deceiver, should we actually forgive him? Yes. Should we hope and pray for his restoration? Yes. Should we ever trust him? Trust is something you earn, and right now Ted Haggard's Trust Fund is bankrupt.
This website has been up for about 5 years trying to warn people about Ted Haggard's hypocrisy. We tried to get people to see the similarities between Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon church) and Haggard. Smith was a money hungry, power starved, sex addict. We have always known that Haggard was obsessed with money and power, but it looks like Haggard had more in common with Smith than we knew. Haggard loves the limelight. Always has, always will. That is why many are concerned that Haggard may now just come out of the closet altogether. Some folks want to be a Big Fish in a small pond. Others are content to be a small fish in a Big Pond. Ted Haggard has always been a Big Fish in a Big Pond. What makes you think that has changed? Be prepared for Haggard to go into exile for a few months then emerge as a spokesman for the gay community, just like Mel White did.
His closest friends and family members are aghast at such a suggestion. If we would have told you that Haggard was having an affair with a gay prostitute (and doing Meth) would you have believed us? It's time to wake up and smell the Starbucks, my friend. Remember, he said, "Through the years, I've sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective..." Considering his personality, if he is actually gay, do you think he will be content to fade into obscurity? No way! He has to have the spotlight. He may decide that it's better to be a well-known gay spokesman than an Evangelical nobody.
Many people don't realize that Ted Haggard only went into the ministry because his Dad bribed him with a car. Haggard did not want to be in the ministry, he wanted to be a famous reporter. So he begrudgingly went to ORU with the sole purpose of trying to catch Oral Roberts cheating on his wife. The irony of it all...
He has appeared to suffer with a spiritual form of a bi-polar disorder for some time. His family and the staff are well aware of his dual personalities. I personally have met his Dr. Jekyll and his Mr. Hyde. Sometimes you get to meet them both at the same time, which is rather un-nerving. Ironically, during his last sermon at New Life Church, Haggard prayed: “Father, we pray that lies would be exposed. We pray that deception would be exposed.”
His ability to convince people of his various ludicrous positions is also legendary. A few years back, Ted Haggard gave a false prophecy. When he began to hear the murmurs of those who had the audacity to question the origins of his prophecy, Haggard immediately pulled together a master plan to blame God. Blame God? How do you blame God for your false prophecies? By teaching that God doesn't know the future. It's called Open Theism, and Haggard taught it from the pulpit for over a year. I was a member of his congregation at the time (for seven years). I walked out and never looked back. Sadly, my family was the only family that I know of that left. I am not saying that to brag but to register my concern that the rest of New Life is either scripturally illiterate or blinded by Ted Haggard's charisma. But this is where it gets even more chilling: about a year later, Haggard (because of pressure from the NAE) preaches a sermon AGAINST Open Theism. He declares anyone who teaches it to be a heretic! If he had confessed that he, too, had been sucked into the false teaching and was repenting, that would have been fine. But no, he just declares Open Theism to be heresy and all who teach it to be heretics. The obvious implication is that Ted Haggard condemned himself as a heretic because he clearly taught Open Theism (to cover up his false prophecy). Did anyone call him on the carpet for this? Of course not. But why? Because Haggard started the church and made sure that he had no accountability. No one can challenge him, unless they want to be on the unemployment line the next day.
Some of the staff claim that he DID have a core group of men that he was accountable to. Really? Then where were they when Ted Haggard was doing meth during his little rubdowns with his male prostitute? The male prostitute said in an interview that Hag's sexual fantasy was to have an orgy with 5 or 6 young boys in their late teens or early twenties. Have you ever seen Ted Haggard's pastoral staff? They are not allowed to have facial hair (Hag's orders). They all look like they are in their early twenties, and to be honest, most of them are rather effeminate. We have received strong evidence that some of them are also homosexual, but it appears that New Life is going to sweep them under the rug just like they did with Haggard's escapades.
In closing, we encourage you to pray for Ted Haggard and his family. Pray that he will truly confess and truly repent. That is the only way the healing process can begin and open the door to genuine restoration. Pray that his children will be shielded from the shrapnel and that they will be able to forgive their Dad for letting them down and bringing shame upon the family name. Pray that Haggard will be able to overcome his weaknesses (with the Lord's help) and stand in righteousness and sanctification. Pray that Haggard will be able accept the forgiveness and Grace that God is offering him. And lastly, pray that this new-found humility is not just an act.
Attention New Lifers: New Life Church (NLC) needs to rewrite the by-laws crafted by Haggard.
Unfortunately, things are not looking good right now at NLC. Ted Haggard is still on the payroll and the Pastoral Selection Committee ended up consisting of all Haggardites. And the interim (and potentially permanent) Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, has made some scary statements lately, from the pulpit. On 11-12-06 (11 AM service) at 41 min - 45 min on the sermon CD, he said, "know your place” - “know your role” - “chain-of-command" then at 44:40 says to "keep your mouth closed" as he chuckles. Sounds like the apple didn't fall far from the Haggard tree. Most of the sermon wasn't too bad, but to hear him use Ted's authoritative terminology ran a chill up my back. Let's hope that no current NLC pastor takes control of the church, or it could be back to the status quo, with Haggard (or one of his clones) running the church from behind the scenes.
On 11-20-06, NLC held its first-ever membership meeting to elect a Pastoral Selection Committee. Why was this the first? Because Ted Haggard set it up that way. Did any of the “members” at NLC even wonder why they had to produce a “giving certificate” from 2005, in order to vote? Why not just produce a membership certificate, like any other church? Because the Haggard by-laws state that there is no actual membership, and that's why they had to go by "giving receipts" to establish what a "member" is. With this type of system, the "members" are not allowed a say in things until after a complete meltdown.
All NLC attendees should insist on an actual "membership." Plus, remind your leaders that the Bible doesn't say anything about "trustees." That is a corporate term from the business world. The way Haggard set it up, the trustees actually ran the church, and since the Bible does not have any standards for “trustees,“ the trustees did not have to meet the biblical standards of an Elder. The church should be run by Elders and Deacons, not wealthy businessmen. Titus1:6-9 says, “An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Get rid of the trustees, and put the Elders and Deacons in charge as God reveals in His Word. At least put the trustees under the Elders (as financial advisors).
And lastly, the church members should have more access to the leadership, and the leadership should have more accountability and transparency. Haughtiness and arrogance should be an actual offense that would be addressed by the Elders, with no double standards. In the past, the trustees would say, “Yes, I know Ted is arrogant, but look at all the good he is doing.” And the “members” of NLC followed the blind trustees into the ditch. The time has come for major changes at NLC. If you don't do it now, you will quickly lose your voice in these matters.
