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Ted Haggard Dismissed by his Church

The independent board acted quickly:

In the wake of accusations by a former male escort that the Rev. Ted Haggard had a three-year sexual relationship with him, an independent oversight board at Mr. Haggard’s New Life Church found that he had “committed sexually immoral conduct” on Saturday and dismissed him as senior pastor.

“In consultation with leading evangelicals and experts familiar with the type of behavior Pastor Haggard has demonstrated, we have decided that the most positive and productive direction for our church is his dismissal,” the statement said. “Pastor Haggard and his wife have been informed of this decision. They have agreed as well that he should be dismissed.”

Despite maintaining his innocence, Haggard agreed with the decision.

Associate Pastor Rob Brendle, in his first interview following the dismissal, told ABC News that he was disheartened by the news, but added he would continue to support his mentor and friend. When asked to explain why Haggard maintained his innocence for the past few days but now accepted his dismissal, Brendle was hard pressed to answer.

Meanwhile, former evangelical Mel White is already exploiting the tragedy to push his gay rights agenda.

Update:

In a statement to his church, Haggard admitted:

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.

Although he really had no other choice, this confession is an important step in the right direction that may bring healing into his life. Unfortunately, his initial decision to lie and deceive calls into question the sincerity of his repentance. Given his double life, he may not be able to judge his own sincerity.

Previously: Ted Haggard's initial statements and Evangelical Hypocrisy

Posted by tim at November 4, 2006 9:18 PM

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Comments

I read about this on a local broadsheet. I wonder if the accusations had any bit of truth to them. If they did, it would be quite comical since he was lobbying against the gay marriage thing.

Posted by: Pinoy Stupid at November 5, 2006 8:41 AM