Posted on 05/28/2010 9:58:05 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
“Repentant” former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard will make a “surprise groundbreaking” announcement next Wednesday from his home in Colorado Springs, Colo., a spokesperson reported Thursday.
It has been nearly four years since a former male prostitute claimed Haggard had paid him for sex over the course of three years and had also taken methamphetamines.
The highly-publicized drugs and sex scandal led to Haggard's resignation from the presidency of the National Association of Evangelicals, forced him out of the church he founded, and moved him and his family into two years of seclusion.
Since late 2008, however, Haggard has been stepping back into the limelight, starting with his promotion of “The Trials of Ted Haggard,” a documentary produced by Alexandra Pelosi that debuted on HBO.
Haggard also made waves when news spread of the prayer meetings he held last November at his home, just miles away from the church he had grown to become one of the most prominent in the nation.
With over 100 having attended the last prayer meeting, many expressed skepticism over Haggard’s intentions, noting that the charismatic pastor had started New Life Church in Colorado Springs from the basement of his house at the age of 28.
Supporters, however, argue that Haggard’s fall from grace in 2006 has deepened and enriched the now-53-year-old preacher, who they hail as gifted speaker.
Some “New Lifers” have even told Haggard that they are being healed through his television appearances.
According to the press release announcing next week’s media conference, Haggard is “now back” from obscurity and plans to publicly broadcast the upcoming “surprise announcement” with his family on Wednesday.
News of the press conference comes just a month after the Haggard’s home was listed as the site of the recently incorporated “St. James Church,” according to Colorado state documents.
Though Haggard told The Gazette of Colorado Springs that the newly formed non-profit was incorporated to provide an orderly way for him and his wife to be reimbursed for the traveling expenses they incur as they visit churches across the country to give paid talks, he didn’t rule out the possibility that it could one day become an official church.
“Sometime, somewhere we will do some type of ministry,” he said.
Groundbreaking, I’m sure. </sarcasm>
I wish that queer hypocrite would vanish from the public stage forever. We have too many teaching against homosexuality but engaged in faggery. The anti-homosexuality message is a front for hypocritical fruits like Teddy.
He's going to join the military as soon as congress repeals "don't ask, don't tell" ???
Christianity should be an example to the world of God’s ability to forgive and heal people from all sin and unrighteousness ... we are the body of Christ, His ambassadors, so let us be the face of Jesus to those who need to see love forgiveness and acceptance
I don’t care who you are, that’s funny right there.
Sounds like he is (singing now) “back in the pulpit again.” Christianity is all about grace and forgiveness. I hope he stays on track this time.
Rich Corrupt Mega-church/Televangelist types are to Evangelicals as pedophile priests are to the Catholic church.
Both are causing non-denominational Mega-Churches to realize explosive growth.
Speaking of disgraced former televangelists, here’s what happened to someone who preceded Ted Haggard — Jim Bakker (for those who are interested in knowing) :
Jim Bakker has renounced his past teachings on prosperity theology, saying they were wrong. In his 1996 book, I Was Wrong, he admitted that the first time he actually read the Bible all the way through was in prison, and that it made him realize he had taken certain passages out of context - passages which he had used as “proof texts” to back up his prosperity teachings. He wrote:
“ The more I studied the Bible, however, I had to admit that the prosperity message did not line up with the tenor of Scripture. My heart was crushed to think that I led so many people astray. I was appalled that I could have been so wrong, and I was deeply grateful that God had not struck me dead as a false prophet! ”
In 1998, Bakker released another book, Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse, and, in 2000, he published The Refuge: The Joy of Christian Community in a Torn-Apart World.
His son, Jay, who is now a minister at Revolution Church in New York City, wrote of the PTL years in his book, Son of a Preacher Man: “The world at large has focused on my parents’ preaching of prosperity, but...I heard a different message — one of forgiveness and the abundance of God’s love. I remember my dad always seating a mentally handicapped man in the front row and hugging him. And when vandals burned an African American church down, Dad made sure its parishioners got the funds to rebuild. His goal was to make PTL a place where anyone with a need could walk in off the streets and have that need met.”
In January 2003, Bakker began broadcasting the daily Jim Bakker Show at Studio City Cafe in Branson, Missouri, with his second wife, Lori Bakker. It is carried on the DISH and DirecTV satellite networks and the CTN cable network. He and his wife Lori have since adopted and/or taken in 5 children from the Phoenix, AZ inner-city neighborhoods Lori once frequented as a part of the Master’s Commission, a worldwide discipleship program now based out of Relevant Church in the Dallas Metro area.
In January 2008, Bakker’s ministry moved into a new television studio near Branson. The studio is housed within a 600-acre (2.4 km2) development that resembles Bakker’s former location, Heritage USA. Most or all of the property in the new development (named Morningside) is owned by associates of Bakker rather than by Bakker himself. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Bakker is still in debt to the IRS for about $6 million.
Before there was Ted Haggard, there were Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart.
Here’s the latest on Jimmy Swaggart ....
Once a worldwide multi-million-dollar ministry, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries today mainly comprises the Family Worship Center, The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast, radio and television programs called A Study in the Word, (SonLife Radio Network), and a website, JSM.org. Swaggart’s wife, Frances, has a radio program called “Frances and Friends” heard daily on the SonLife Radio Network.
His son, Donnie Swaggart, preaches at the Family Worship Center and also preaches in churches across the US and abroad.
Jimmy’s grandson, Gabriel, is a preacher, and leads the Family Worship Center youth ministry, Crossfire.
Sonlife radio is heard in 22 states. It’s all in the family.
“The phone lines are open, please have your credit card ready”.
You’ll know how repentant he is by how honest he is about his fall.
A once-fallen preacher who doesn’t hide his blemishes can be an effective one. You don’t find many like that, though.
After his “repentance” and his “I have sinned” speech he was “forgiven” and returned to his ministry; only to be found engaging the services of a prostitute AGAIN; whereupon he gave his “it is flat none of your business” speech.
What a charlatan!
Whats on that womans head?
NASA Scientists are still researching what is on her head.
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