.Pay-For-Sex Scandal Surrounds Pastor Ted Haggard
(AP) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The Rev. Ted Haggard resigned as president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals on Thursday after being accused of paying a man for sex in monthly trysts over the past three years.
Haggard, a married father of five, denied the allegations and his accuser refused to share voice mails and mail he said backed up his claim.
Haggard -- an outspoken opponent of the drive for gay marriage -- also stepped down as senior pastor at his 14,000-member New Life Church pending an investigation by a church panel, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
"I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," Haggard said in a written statement. "I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."
He also told a local Denver television station late Wednesday: "Never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife, I'm faithful to my wife."
The allegations came as voters in Colorado and seven other states prepare to decide ban-gay-marriage amendments next Tuesday. Besides the proposed ban on the Colorado ballot, a separate measure would establish the legality of domestic partnerships providing same-sex couples with many of the rights of married couples.
Mike Jones, 49, of Denver told the AP he decided to go public with his allegations because of the political fight.
"I just want people to step back and take a look and say, 'Look, we're all sinners, we all have faults, but if two people want to get married, just let them, and let them have a happy life,"' said Jones, who added that he isn't working for any political group.
Jones, who said he is gay, said he was also upset when he discovered Haggard and the New Life Church had publicly opposed same-sex marriage.
"It made me angry that here's someone preaching about gay marriage and going behind the scenes having gay sex," Jones said.
Jones, whose allegations were first aired on KHOW-AM radio in Denver, claimed Haggard paid him to have sex nearly every month over three years. He said he advertised himself as an escort on the Internet and was contacted by a man who called himself Art.
Jones said he later saw the man on television identified as Haggard. He said he last had sex with Haggard in August and did not warn him before making his allegations public this week.
Jones said he has voice mails from Haggard as well as an envelope he said Haggard used to mail him cash. He declined to make any of it available to the AP.
"There's some stuff on there (the voice mails) that's pretty damning," he said.
Haggard, a 1978 graduate of Oral Roberts University who is believed to be about 50, was appointed president of the evangelicals' association in March 2003 and has been called one of the most influential conservative Christians in the nation.
After Massachusetts legalized gay marriage in 2004, Haggard and others began organizing state-by-state opposition. Last year, Haggard and officials from the nearby Christian ministry Focus on the Family announced plans to push Colorado's gay marriage ban for the 2006 ballot.
At the time, Haggard said he believes marriage is a union between a man and woman rooted in centuries of tradition, and that research shows it's the best family unit for children.
"Homosexual activity, like adulterous relationships, is clearly condemned in the Scriptures," the evangelicals' association says on its Web site. The Bible says homosexuality is a sin that "brings grave consequences in this life and excludes one from the Kingdom of God."
Two years ago, when conservative Christians were pushing President Bush to make a gay marriage ban a top priority, Haggard told the Dallas Morning News many association members believed "the federal marriage amendment should be at the center of this election."
He also boasted to the Wall Street Journal that he could call the White House and get an answer from Bush within 24 hours.
Haggard has participated in conservative Christian leaders' conference calls with White House staffers and lobbied members of Congress last year on U.S. Supreme Court appointees after Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement.
Haggard's resignation from the NAE seems unlikely to do lasting damage to the organization, which is an umbrella group for a diverse and independent-minded membership. At his own church, Haggard's decision to step aside -- if it became permanent -- would have a more profound effect.
"One would hope and pray that this matter would be resolved expeditiously and quickly and he can be restored back to being the pastor of the church and the leader of the NAE," said Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative Washington think tank.
New Life Church member Brooks DeMio, 44, said he thinks Jones is a liar and just can't believe Haggard would engage in gay sex.
"He loves the lord, homosexuality is a sin and that's not Ted," DeMio said. "His desire is serve other people and uphold the word of God. ... I don't know him well enough to give a complete character description, but I know him enough to know it's not true."
Richard Cizik, vice president for government affairs for the evangelicals' association, expressed shock at the allegations.
"Is this something I can imagine of Ted Haggard? No," he said.
Carolyn Haggard, spokeswoman for the New Life Church and the pastor's niece, said a four-member church panel will investigate the allegations.
The board is comprised of the Rev. Larry Stockstill in Baker, La., the Rev. Mark Cowart of Colorado Springs, the Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur and the Rev. Michael Ware of Westminster. The board has the authority of to discipline Haggard, including removing him from ministry work.
"This is really routine when any sort of situation like this arises, so we're prepared," Carolyn Haggard said. "The church is going to continue to serve and be welcoming to our community. That's a priority.""
CBS4
Well it looks like if the conservative were to run all the gays out of their movement, there would be no one left within the movement...Why can't they just be like everyone else and accept people for who they are and not What they are.
Haggard, a married father of five, denied the allegations and his accuser refused to share voice mails and mail he said backed up his claim.
Haggard -- an outspoken opponent of the drive for gay marriage -- also stepped down as senior pastor at his 14,000-member New Life Church pending an investigation by a church panel, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
"I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," Haggard said in a written statement. "I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."
He also told a local Denver television station late Wednesday: "Never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife, I'm faithful to my wife."
The allegations came as voters in Colorado and seven other states prepare to decide ban-gay-marriage amendments next Tuesday. Besides the proposed ban on the Colorado ballot, a separate measure would establish the legality of domestic partnerships providing same-sex couples with many of the rights of married couples.
Mike Jones, 49, of Denver told the AP he decided to go public with his allegations because of the political fight.
"I just want people to step back and take a look and say, 'Look, we're all sinners, we all have faults, but if two people want to get married, just let them, and let them have a happy life,"' said Jones, who added that he isn't working for any political group.
Jones, who said he is gay, said he was also upset when he discovered Haggard and the New Life Church had publicly opposed same-sex marriage.
"It made me angry that here's someone preaching about gay marriage and going behind the scenes having gay sex," Jones said.
Jones, whose allegations were first aired on KHOW-AM radio in Denver, claimed Haggard paid him to have sex nearly every month over three years. He said he advertised himself as an escort on the Internet and was contacted by a man who called himself Art.
Jones said he later saw the man on television identified as Haggard. He said he last had sex with Haggard in August and did not warn him before making his allegations public this week.
Jones said he has voice mails from Haggard as well as an envelope he said Haggard used to mail him cash. He declined to make any of it available to the AP.
"There's some stuff on there (the voice mails) that's pretty damning," he said.
Haggard, a 1978 graduate of Oral Roberts University who is believed to be about 50, was appointed president of the evangelicals' association in March 2003 and has been called one of the most influential conservative Christians in the nation.
After Massachusetts legalized gay marriage in 2004, Haggard and others began organizing state-by-state opposition. Last year, Haggard and officials from the nearby Christian ministry Focus on the Family announced plans to push Colorado's gay marriage ban for the 2006 ballot.
At the time, Haggard said he believes marriage is a union between a man and woman rooted in centuries of tradition, and that research shows it's the best family unit for children.
"Homosexual activity, like adulterous relationships, is clearly condemned in the Scriptures," the evangelicals' association says on its Web site. The Bible says homosexuality is a sin that "brings grave consequences in this life and excludes one from the Kingdom of God."
Two years ago, when conservative Christians were pushing President Bush to make a gay marriage ban a top priority, Haggard told the Dallas Morning News many association members believed "the federal marriage amendment should be at the center of this election."
He also boasted to the Wall Street Journal that he could call the White House and get an answer from Bush within 24 hours.
Haggard has participated in conservative Christian leaders' conference calls with White House staffers and lobbied members of Congress last year on U.S. Supreme Court appointees after Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement.
Haggard's resignation from the NAE seems unlikely to do lasting damage to the organization, which is an umbrella group for a diverse and independent-minded membership. At his own church, Haggard's decision to step aside -- if it became permanent -- would have a more profound effect.
"One would hope and pray that this matter would be resolved expeditiously and quickly and he can be restored back to being the pastor of the church and the leader of the NAE," said Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative Washington think tank.
New Life Church member Brooks DeMio, 44, said he thinks Jones is a liar and just can't believe Haggard would engage in gay sex.
"He loves the lord, homosexuality is a sin and that's not Ted," DeMio said. "His desire is serve other people and uphold the word of God. ... I don't know him well enough to give a complete character description, but I know him enough to know it's not true."
Richard Cizik, vice president for government affairs for the evangelicals' association, expressed shock at the allegations.
"Is this something I can imagine of Ted Haggard? No," he said.
Carolyn Haggard, spokeswoman for the New Life Church and the pastor's niece, said a four-member church panel will investigate the allegations.
The board is comprised of the Rev. Larry Stockstill in Baker, La., the Rev. Mark Cowart of Colorado Springs, the Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur and the Rev. Michael Ware of Westminster. The board has the authority of to discipline Haggard, including removing him from ministry work.
"This is really routine when any sort of situation like this arises, so we're prepared," Carolyn Haggard said. "The church is going to continue to serve and be welcoming to our community. That's a priority.""
CBS4
Well it looks like if the conservative were to run all the gays out of their movement, there would be no one left within the movement...Why can't they just be like everyone else and accept people for who they are and not What they are.
posted by madtom at 12:43 AM
1 Comments:
Damn... I didn't check the page before cross-posting this story on TFW. It's weird that we both found this to be about the only news-worthy story all day. I'm not pulling my post down though because mine has jokes. ;-)
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