We have a nasty little scandal brewing in Colorado Springs this morning, featuring one of the pastors at New Life Church, a megachurch with 14,000 members. The pastor is also the (former) head of the National Association of Evangelicals, which makes the accusation even more suspicious. Here's the complete article, because the Gazette doesn't archive articles in a way that the average user can get to them.
By DAVE PHILIPPS and PAUL ASAY THE GAZETTE
The Rev. Ted Haggard today admitted buying methamphetamine from a male prostitute, who he said he was referred to for a massage.
"I bought it for myself but never used it," he said. "I was tempted but I never used it."
Haggard, speaking to reporters outside his Briargate home, made the admission one day after resigning his leadership post at the National Association of Evangelicals and putting himself on administrative leave from the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
He said he never had sex with the prostitute, who made allegations this week that the two had a three-year sexual relationship.
Haggard,
sitting in his pickup truck with his wife and three of his children in the backseat, said he was on his way to an appointment. A panel of outside church leaders wanted to talk to him about the scandal, he said.
"Both (religious)positions are based on trust and right now my trust is questionable," he said.
Early today, an associate pastor at New Life said there's "some truth" to the allegations against Haggard, founder and senior pastor of the 14,000-member church.
Mike Jones, 49, of Denver, on Wednesday alleged that he was paid for sex during the three-year relationship with Haggard and that he saw Haggard use methamphetamine.
Its not entirely false," the Rev. Rob Brendle, associate pastor of New Life, said of the allegations. "We dont know the extent of the truth of them.
Also, the Rev. Ross Parsley sent an e-mail to some church members saying that the churchs four-member board of overseers had met with Haggard.
It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true. He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation, the e-mail stated.
No timetable was set for release of the board's findings, although church officials said board members and Haggard would address the congregation in some manner at Sunday services. The church services are at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Haggard resigned Thursday as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after Jones allegations were made public.
Haggard on Wednesday denied the allegations, and said in a statement hes stepping aside to let the investigation run its course.
He could not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning, he said in a written statement released Thursday.
He said he might talk about the issue later and will seek both spiritual advice and guidance until then.
Parsley will take the helm of the church until Haggards status has been resolved.
The Haggard story dealt the evangelical world its most serious shock since the 1980s scandals of televangelists Jim Bakker of the PTL Club and Jimmy Swaggart of the Assemblies of God.
Haggard heads Colorados largest megachurch and has been an influential leader in the national evangelical movement a movement some say was instrumental in getting President Bush re-elected in 2004.
Time Magazine named him one of the countrys 25 most influential evangelicals, and Harpers Magazine called New Life the most powerful megachurch in America.
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson issued a statement today saying his organization is "heartsick" over the revelations.
"We will await the outcome of this story, but the possibility that an illicit relationship has occurred is alarming to us and to millions of others," Dobson said.
Focus on the Family is a worldwide Christian media ministry based in Colorado Springs.
Dobson said he and Haggard will continue to be friends "even if the worst allegations prove accurate."
One Colorado Springs pastor said the revelations should not lead to Haggard's dismissal because Haggard said he did not have sex with Jones and never used the drugs he purchased.
"I am praying hard for Ted," said the Rev. Donald Armstrong, rector of Grace Episcopal and St. Stephen's Church. "Somebody like Ted, who's so prominent, is going to be under constant attack from evil and temptation. So it's hard for any of us to understand the level of temptation or the level of attack he's had to deal with, but if this is the case then he walked up to the edge and was victorious, and I think we ought to celebrate that."
Armstrong said some critics of evangelicals sitting in the "cheap seats" are watching the news and would be delighted to see Haggard discredited. But Haggard could have increased credibility with others for having overcome temptation, he said.
"Christians understand sin, and they understand God's forgiveness, but they also understand the call to repentance and amendment of life," Armstrong said.
At the church within view of the Haggard home church members expressed optimism Thursday evening that the allegations were false, but said that even if they were true, the church would go on.
Wed be shocked if it were true. But our faith is based on God, not one minister, said Megan Oaster, 26.
Others were angry. This upsets me because they besmirched his name for an election, said new member Seth Otterstad. Im going to pray about it.
Tuesdays election includes two significant gay rights issues on Colorados ballot. Amendment 43 would define marriage as between a man and a woman, and Referendum I would give same-sex couples certain legal rights. Haggard has been an outspoken supporter of Amendment 43.
Jones, the male escort from Denver, said his acquaintance with Haggard whom he knew as Art lasted about three years, with Haggard calling him every month or so and paying him for sex. Haggards middle name is Arthur.
Jones said the encounters typically lasted less than an hour.
It was just encounters, Jones told The Gazette. There was no emotion involved.
Jones also said he saw Haggard use methamphetamine.
Jones said he learned Haggards real name about six months ago while watching a History Channel program on which Haggard was interviewed. Jones began researching Haggard and discovered his churchs positions on samesex marriage.
I got to tell you, I started getting pissed, he said.
Jones approached Denver news outlets with the story about two months ago, but first spoke publicly Wednesday in an interview with Peter Boyles, a talk show host on KHOW (630 AM).
Wednesday evening, television station KUSA in Denver aired an interview with Jones, in which he named Haggard as his client. Haggard denied the charges on KUSA that evening.
I did not have a homosexual relationship with a man in Denver, Haggard told KUSA. I am steady with my wife. Im faithful to my wife.
Haggard also told the station: "I have never done drugs - ever. Not even in high school. I didn't smoke pot. I didn't do anything like that. I'm not a drug man. We're not a drinking family. I don't smoke cigarettes. I don't socially drink. We don't socially drink. We don't have wine in our house. We don't do that kind of thing."
Jones says he has two voice mail messages and a letter from Haggard, which he released to KUSA.
The television station hired Richard Sanders, a voice identification expert from the University of Colorado at Denver, to compare the voice mail messages with samples of Haggards voice.
KUSA reported that nine of 12 words were perfect matches and that Sanders planned to issue a report today.
Jones acknowledged the political sensitivity of his allegations. He is being the hammer, and the gay movement is his nail, he told Boyles.
Greg Montoya, editor of a newspaper that focuses on Denvers gay, lesbian and transgender community, Out Front Colorado, said rumors about Haggard had circulated for years through Denvers gay community. Michael Rogers, head of the gay activist Web site Proud of Who We Are (www.proudofwhoweare.org), said he thinks Jones is telling the truth.
Im just looking at history, Rogers said. But I dont know a lot of people who step down from those positions if theres not something behind that smoking gun.
Local gay spiritual leaders say theyve never heard rumors that Haggard was gay.
I feel a lot of sympathy for Ted, said Nori Rost, head of Just Spirit, a gay rights advocacy group in Colorado Springs. Having been a pastor, you live in a fishbowl anyway. It must be very painful for Ted and his family.
Gazette reporters Pam Zubeck, Tom Roeder, Anthony Lane, Andy Wineke, DeeDee Correll and Perry Swanson contributed to this story. |
The Rev. Ted Haggard emerged from three weeks of intensive counseling convinced he is "completely heterosexual" and told an oversight board that his sexual contact with men was limited to his accuser. 
Senior pastor Ross Parsley forwarded Haggard's message to the wider church body Monday. In the message, Haggard revealed that he and his wife, Gayle, intend to leave Colorado Springs and pursue master's degrees through online courses. 
Haggard, 50, resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and was fired from the church he built from nothing into a 14,000-member congregation after a former male prostitute in Denver alleged a three-year cash-for-sex relationship. Haggard admitted to "sexual immorality" and a long battle against feelings contrary to his beliefs. He admitted buying methamphetamine but said he never used it. 
In a letter of apology read to the congregation of New Life Church Sunday morning,