Posted on 11/05/2006 1:05:02 PM PST by sonrise57
To my New Life Church family:
I am so sorry. I am sorry for the disappointment, the betrayal, and the hurt. I am sorry for the horrible example I have set for you.
I have an overwhelming, all-consuming sadness in my heart for the pain that you and I and my family have experienced over the past few days. I am so sorry for the circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment to all of you.
I asked that this note be read to you this morning so I could clarify my heart's condition to you. The last four days have been so difficult for me, my family and all of you, and I have further confused the situation with some of the things I've said during interviews with reporters who would catch me coming or going from my home. But I alone am responsible for the confusion caused by my inconsistent statements. The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem.
I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life.
For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach.
Through the years, I've sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective in me. Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn't want to hurt or disappoint them.
The public person I was wasn't a lie; it was just incomplete. When I stopped communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.
The accusations that have been leveled against me are not all true, but enough of them are true that I have been appropriately and lovingly removed from ministry. Our church's overseers have required me to submit to the oversight of Dr. James Dobson, Pastor Jack Hayford, and Pastor Tommy Barnett. Those men will perform a thorough analysis of my mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical life. They will guide me through a program with the goal of healing and restoration for my life, my marriage, and my family.
I created this entire situation. The things that I did opened the door for additional allegations . But I am responsible; I alone need to be disciplined and corrected. An example must be set.
It is important that you know how much I love and appreciate my wife, Gayle. What I did should never reflect in a negative way on her relationship with me. She has been and continues to be incredible. The problem is not with her, my children or any of you. It was created 100 percent by me.
I have been permanently removed from the office of Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Until a new senior pastor is chosen, our Associate Senior Pastor Ross Parsley will assume all of the the responsibilities of the office. On the day he accepted this new role, he and his wife, Aimee, had a new baby boy. A new life in the midst of this circumstance - I consider the confluence of events to be prophetic. Please commit to join with Pastor Ross and the others in church leadership to make their service to you easy and without burden. They are fine leaders. You are blessed.
I appreciate your loving and forgiving nature, and I humbly ask you to do a few things.
1.) Please stay faithful to God through service and giving.
2.) Please forgive me. I am so embarrassed and ashamed. I caused this and I have no excuse. I am a sinner. I have fallen. I desperately need to be forgiven and healed.
3.) Please forgive my accuser. He is revealing the deception and sensuality that was in my life. Those sins, and others, need to be dealt with harshly. So, forgive him and, actually, thank God for him. I am trusting that his action will make me, my wife and family, and ultimately all of you, stronger. He didn't violate you; I did.
4.) Please stay faithful to each other. Perform your functions well. Encourage each other and rejoice in God's faithfulness. Our church body is a beautiful body, and like every family, our strength is tested and proven in the midst of adversity. Because of the negative publicity I've created with my foolishness, we can now demonstrate to the world how our sick and wounded can be healed, and how even disappointed and betrayed church bodies can prosper and rejoice.
Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. In our hearts, we will always be members of this body. We love you as our family. I know this situation will put you to the test. I'm sorry I've created the test, but please rise to this challenge and demonstate the incredible grace that is available to all of us.
Ted Haggard
John Kerry, Mark Foley, Bill Clinton, now THIS is an apology!
I wish I could get excited about this Ted Haggard business but I never heard of him until he became a meth-using, gay guy All-Star in the liberal "media" last week.
Ditto.
ping
Even in appology, he puts himself before his family!
ping
He should tell everyone he is a Gay-American, write a book and go on Oprah.
Thank you for finding and posting this. I was surprised MSNBC showed the entire, uninterrupted, unedited video of it being read to his congregation this morning. Very powerful, I hope many will take the time to read it.
and I wish him, his family and the entire congregation well. This is going to difficult for all involved.
Two more words....."I'm gay."
His wife must feel a little betrayed. Maybe he should have told her he was gay before they got married.
Perhaps if you'd actually read the letter to see what it said, rather than playing little mr. spellcheck, you'd actually have learned something. Alas, you didn't.
He is only sorry he was caught.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
The apology of a true Christian man. May God bless him and restore him.
That said, I am glad to see that he has accepted full responsibility for his actions.
May God mold him back into his man again.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
But, the bible also says:
"You may be sure that your sin will find you out."
Numbers 31:23
Sin is such a terrible thing that God's son had to be tortured and to die in order to save us. Watch your DVD "The Passion of the Christ" and that reminds us all what He did.
To the liberals, the MSM, the secular - the worst sin is to be "a hypocrite. Hypocrisy is a sin - Christ called the Pharisees on it.
But those who only point to hypocrisy as sin refuse to acknowledge their own sin. They think only getting caught in sin after speaking God's truth to sin is the only thing wrong.
The homosexual man who had sex with this preacher does not admit to his sin. The former pastor now does.
That is a BIG difference in the eyes of God.
This guy Ted Haggard is a huge disappointment, although I admit I never heard of him until 4 days ago. He should have known his sin would have found him out. Gay sex is perhaps the ugliest and dirtiest of sins. I will pray for him that perhaps this hard, hard crash wakes him up to how he destroyed his life and marriage with it.
God can use any tragedy and make it a blessing.
Previous posters are much nicer people than I.
I have no idea why anyone would accept this creep's applogy. I wouldn't.
For starters, I don't believe a word of it.
.
Two words:
WHO CARES?
Why all the rending of garments and moaning and groaning?
He was just another money-grubbing, two-faced hypocrite that took himself too seriously.
It appears there were many that him too seriously, also.
Let's move on.
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