Pastor Ted Haggard

Ted Haggard, pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, has fallen.

He has officially and publicly confessed of and is beginning the process of repentance concerning sexual immorality. The details are all over the rabid secular media, and do not need to be rehashed here.

I have long had mixed feelings about Ted; he leans very heavily in the direction of Kenyonism (so-called "Word-Faith"), and so I have always held him doctrinally at arms-length. But he is a brother, and the unfolding events of the last week serve ultimately to demonstrate that.

I have to say: I am very blessed and humbled by how Pastor Haggard, his wife, the church board, and the greater church body of New Life Church have handled the whole situation.

There are generally one of two reactions in the modern evangelical church to Christians who fall into sin - whether leaders or "lay people:"

1. We shoot the wounded: it has been said of the church that we're the only army that shoots its own wounded. When a brother falls, we are indeed to take it seriously and deal with sin harshly (first of all in our own selves, a very sadly missing component, IMNSHO). But it is always for the goal of restoration and reconciliation, never from a condemning stance. That's not Jesus' heart for His own - how dare it be ours.


2. We ignore the sin: This is probably the most common current response, and is just as bad as glomming on to a brother who is down. Just as wicked as condemningly ostracizing a fallen brother is the practice of turning a blind eye to sin. This has been called "sloppy agapé," an entirely appropriate and largely accurate description. Thus we have the situation where a leader in the church sins, and he's given the administrative equivalent of a slap in the hand - which is a slap in the face to the Church and her Head.

The way the Haggard issue has been handled stands in stunning contrast to what we normally see. Instead of sweeping his sin under the rug, Ted has cowboyed up, confessed his sin (after initial denials - hey, he's fallen, remember? So are you, BTW...), and submitted to examination and discipline to his duly constituted and ordained board. He is not making excuses; he's calling sin, sin. And his board has swiftly and publicly (since he is in public ministry, his sin must be dealt with publicly), and decisively dealt with the issue, removed him from ministry (permanently), and placed him under corrective discipline - for the purpose of reconciliation and restoration. And so instead of erring on the Pharisaical side of things and casting him out as an unclean thing, they have laid the rod of correction on him, but in love... and aren't letting him go into the night without a fight. Harsh rebuke and castisement for the sin, open arms of love and compassion for the sinner.

Oh, that we all learn from this godly example!

The text of pastor Ted's and his wife's final letters to the church are heart-wrenching, to-the-point, and without acrimony or excuse... and are obviously designed to encourage the body to learn from Ted's negative example, and continue steadfastly with the Lord.

Please let me say this: TED'S LETTER DEMONSTRATES A TRUE SHEPHERD'S HEART, in that his primary concern isn't so much the impact of his sin on his own life, but that of the flock, and his deep concern that the Lord takes even this dark evil and turn it for good, that the body see and learn and fear... and grow.

I think pastor Ted's letter is so exceedingly worth reading, consideration, and prayer, that I repost its contents here (the original can be found here):

November 5, 2006

My Dear 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 was not with her, my children, or any of you. It was created 100% 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 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 that 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 actions 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 demonstrate the incredible grace that is available to all of us.

Ted Haggard

...all I can say is, wow. God bless pastor Ted and his wife, and the leaders and body there at New Life Church. I am grieved by Ted's choices, grieved by the hurt caused by his sin... and so encouraged by how he and the church have handled this. At the end of the day, I am humbled by his godly example of repentance and contrition, and more than ever I find myself in a position of respecting him.

Sin is sin, it is ugly and evil, and we are all stained by it. Ted's sin is eggregious, and all the more so because it has served to further tarnish the holy office of the pastorate.

But his example of humility, transparency, accountability, confession, repentance, and submission to discipline is a holy thing which shuts the mouth of the adversary and strengthens the Body. Our God truly is a God who restores the years the locusts have eaten, and gives beauty for ashes.

He deserves our prayers, our love, our support... and our deep, reverential respect for how he has and is handling this. God bless you and your wife richly and deeply and powerfully, pastor Ted.

Also, you can find his wife's letter to the body here. Now this is a truly lady of faith.