Posted on 11/02/2006 2:45:28 PM PST by dogbyte12
The leader of one of Colorado's most popular mega-churches, Ted Haggard, is temporarily stepping down from his leadership role, after allegations from a male prostitute that Haggard solicited gay sex.
Haggard, the founder and senior leader of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs and president of the multimillion- member National Association of Evangelicals, denied the accusations raised by the prostitute on Wednesday.
Today, a press conference by church leaders to support Haggard was cancelled shortly before it was scheduled to take place.
In stepping down, it was emphasized that Haggard did not admit any wrongdoing, but that he felt his effectiveness would be hampered by the cloud of inquiry.
Male escort Mike Jones of Denver told 9News he'd had a three-year sexual business relationship with Haggard.
Jones went public about their alleged relationship Wednesday morning on talk radio.
"People may look at me and think what I've done is immoral, but I think I had to do the moral thing in my mind and that is expose someone who is preaching one thing and doing the opposite behind everybody's back," Jones told 9News.
The station spoke to Haggard outside his home in Colorado Springs, and he fervently denied the allegations. Haggard is married and has five children.
"I've never had a gay relationship with anybody. ... I am steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife. I don't know if this is election-year politics or if this has to do with the marriage amendment or what it is," Haggard said.
The Denver Post could not reach Haggard for comment.
Haggard has been one of the major proponents for a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.
This is never a good sign.
Ditto on the prayers. Hopefully turns out to be a false accusation (though him stepping down already makes me wonder).
Oh, man. Thought y'all were talkin' 'bout Meryl Haggard there for a minute!
Doesn't mean a thing though. Well it could. It could also mean that since the stories were published today, he wanted the church not to be damaged and is having the church do an investigation for the confidence of the community.
Either way, he needs our prayers. If true it was a consensual, but sinful relationship that he needs to atone for now. But we are all sinners, and we can all be redeemed.
There was a Missouri Synod pastor with a mega-church. Same story.
Yup, the Lord will forgive all tresspasses if one is truly sorry for ones sins.
This smells like a Foley-esque smear.
I seriously doubt this is true.
Hopefully you are right. I surely hate to see a man maligned by the word of another without proof.
If it's true, and I'm doubtful, but if it is, he owes it to all his supporters to fight this until after the election.
No matter the cost, ANY cost.
Ugh. I just spent the last 45 minutes listening to the hosts of a local sports show talk about this. And they just didn't seem to understand how people could say that the timing of this announcement might be regarded as suspicious.
Who writes letters to their gay prostitute?
Well, he stepped down from both of his leadership posts already. Remember that the ballot initiative on gay marriage in Colorado is like at 47-46 right now. This is going to be a huge deal there.
And now on the same station we've got a pastor telling us that megachurches aren't "real" churches. Oh, and a local anti-homosexual priest in his area has been trying to get him into bed for years. No names, of course. It wouldn't be "fair".
I'm going to stop listening before I throw something.
In a world when you can't trust a female prostitute to keep your confidence, I want out!!!
I would think the same tradition of confidence keeping would hold true for a male prostitute. Stinks!
Ping to follow
"If it's true, and I'm doubtful, but if it is, he owes it to all his supporters to fight this until after the election.
No matter the cost, ANY cost."
Seems to me he owes his supporters the truth and nothing else. He needs to defend himself if he has been wrongly accused otherwise he owes his wife, his congregation and his Lord the truth as to what has happened and he needs to soulfully repent for his actions.
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