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
Amazing how conservatives take responsibility and accept the consequences...SO UNLIKE THE LIBERALS.
Me neither. To me this is a tale of gay duplicity, nothing more.
Let's change that to:
...many that took him too...
Stupid idiots such as he is pee me off to the point of grammar insufficiency.
I can't help thinking that a lot of the nice people on this thread would have fought for the honor of to casting the first stone.
Do you know Mr. Haggard? Do you know anybody who attends New Life Church? Are you really as sinless as you make yourself out to be, or are you just a big fat blowhard?
Same here, although I feel very bad about it. I hope he can get his life together.
I doubt he's gay, probably just turned on by sexual practices that his wife is too self-respecting to engage in.
Now that's real Christian of you.
I don't now, nor have I ever, claimed to be without sin.
I keep my own counsel with my God and my immoral acts are out in the open for all to see, as minor as they are.
I do not commit homosexual acts and use drugs. And even if I did, I would not then deny it and continue to pretend to walk on the right-hand side of God.
Who's the blowhard here, huh?
Just admit it, you got your feelings hurt 'cause your hero had feet of clay.
How much money did you send him?
Don't attack me simply because I see the man for what he is.
Actually, I care not for or about the man...that is my point...why should we?
And no, I do not know anyone from the "New Life Church".
Should I?
Hear! Hear! Well said. Phoney Baloney.
Ditto.
Ditto.
This goes a powerful way toward making people feel forgiving.
This looks like real contrition to me. What a novelty, among all the scandals!
I agree.
This is how a Republican (not to mention a Christian) should do it.
McGreevey is how the Democrats do it.
Nice try. Like others here, I've never heard of him, and it wouldn't affect my vote if I had.
Perhaps he and Mark Foley should elope to France, instead of feeding the MSM's addiction to Republican scandals.
As for his apology, whoever wrote it did a good job.
Please ping your lists. bttt
If you're interested in finding out what the new head of the Christian Coalition, Pastor Joel Hunter, has to say about the Haggard resignation, you may want to watch the live webstream of his sermon 6:30 PM today - in progress right now - or at 7 PM Monday. The music director, Vernon Rainwater is doing announcements, music and communion first, then Joel will come up.
Go here http://www.northlandcc.org/ and click on webstream worship in the featured links on the right side of the page. Then right click on the word "here" and click "open" at this hot link: View the Webstream here.
What I don't understand is the lack of accountability from someone...anyone...who knew this man was dealing with these problems.
This didn't just happen overnight...
Where was the accountability to himself.....?
If he has the Holy Spirit as his guide, his conscience should have/would have burned when he sinned.
Instead, it seems this lifestyle would have continued except he was outed by the male prostitute.....Haggard didn't feel compelled to out himself.
I feel sorry for his family, his former church.....but I don't understand how this continued for so long.
Was the man living a total lie?
I can understand how non Christians reading this stuff get very sarcastic and give cutting responses.
But they need to know in the Word, the Bible, it talks about people like the Ted Haggards...
..God will hold him and others more accountable because of their leadership in a church and their position of authority.
I don't know the man, I've never heard of him before this happened....and I'm an Evangelical Christian..
...I think at a local level, Colorado Springs and surrounding areas, it might influence some votes.....who knows.
Just admit it, you got your feelings hurt 'cause your hero had feet of clay. How much money did you send him?
LOL! I suppose next you'll be telling me to "go back to DU, troll?" Not that it's any of your business, but I've never thought too highly of him or his church, and certainly never gave him a cent.
Actually, I care not for or about the man...that is my point...why should we?
Ah, but you do, else you'd not have been so pissy about him in the first place. You just don't like being called on it.
Tucker Carlson said he almost felt sorry for a man who was so publicly humiliated but not when he appeared with his wife and children by his side as he denied it all.
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