Ted Arthur Haggard (born June 27, 1956) is an American evangelical pastor. Known as Pastor Ted for the congregation he serves, he is the founder and former pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado; founder of the Church Association Giving Life; and was the leader of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) from 2003 to November 2006.
In November 2006, male prostitute and masseuse Mike Jones accused Haggard of paying him for sex for three years and had also bought and used methamphetamine crystals. Haggard denied having sex with Jones, but claimed to buy methamphetamine crystals, claiming he did not use the drug. A few days later Haggard resigned from all his leadership positions. Grant Haas, who previously attended New Life Church, has said that the pastor Ted Haggard then masturbated in front of him in a hotel room in 2006 and sent him an explicit text message.
After the scandal was published, Haggard entered three weeks of intensive counseling, supervised by four ministers. In February 2007, one of the ministers, Tim Ralph, said that Haggard was "completely heterosexual." Ralph later said that he meant the therapy "gave Ted a tool to help embrace his heterosexual side." On June 1, 2010, Haggard announced that he intends to start a new church in Colorado Springs. In a July 2010 interview with CNN, he insisted that he had "completely avoided all the homosexual feelings he had in the past." However, in the February 2011 edition of GQ , Haggard said that, "maybe, if I was 21 years old in this community, I would identify myself as a bisexual."
Video Ted Haggard
Early life and education
Haggard was born in Indiana. His father, J. M. Haggard, a veterinarian practicing in Yorktown, Indiana, founded an international charismatic ministry, featured in the PBS Middletown documentary series.
Haggard reportedly stated on audio footage posted to the internet that he was mistreated when he was seven years old.
In 1972, at the age of sixteen, Haggard became a born-again Christian after hearing a sermon from evangelist Bill Bright in Dallas, Texas, and became acquainted with the Christian apologetics of C.S. Lewis.
As co-editor of a high school newspaper in 1974, Haggard published a very blatant article describing the services available to prevent and deal with increasingly prevalent pregnancies and STDs. These articles make a scandal of his small town and involve him in a free press lawsuit.
Haggard describes the feeling of God's calling in his life after his first year in college, when he was in the kitchen at home. He has been majoring in telecommunications with a minor in journalism, but after this experience he believes he has been called to be a pastor. "I'm really surprised," Haggard wrote in The Life-Giving Church. "I... told God that I wanted to serve Him, but before I say this to anyone, especially to my parents, I ask God to convince me by using others to confirm His call in my life I felt as if He approved... "Within forty-eight hours, Haggard felt that he received four unsolicited confirmations: from a Sunday school teacher, a priest, a friend, and from his father. Haggard then studied at Oral Roberts University, a Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, graduating in 1978.
Maps Ted Haggard
Career as minister
According to Haggard, in November 1984, when he was an associate pastor at Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his confidante and mentor Danny Ost, a missionary to Mexico City, had a vision of Haggard setting up his church in Colorado Springs. Therefore, Haggard moved to Colorado soon after, and founded New Life Church. Initially, 22 people who met in the basement of Haggard's home formed his church, which later grew into a rented place in striped malls. Haggard is unconventional in his approach to serving others. Through random acts of kindness, Haggard occasionally skips the morning offerings and shocks the needy, such as restoring military personnel and single parents, with financial blessings by asking the congregation to put money on their feet when they stand in front of the congregation. After 22 years, New Life Church operates from campus in northern Colorado Springs and has 14,000 congregations. In 1993, during what Haggard called his "first prayer trip," he traveled with the group to Israel. They stood on the Mount of Olives, where Haggard claimed to feel the Holy Spirit speaking to him. "From then on until now," Haggard wrote in The Life-Giving Church, "the apostolic power has blessed me." My only problem is with me - not with the enemy, not with circumstances, not with people."
Scandal and removal from work
In November 2006, escort and massager Mike Jones charged that Haggard had paid him to have sex with her for three years and had also bought and used methamphetamine crystals. Jones said he had just figured out Haggard's true identity, and explained his reasons for coming forward by saying, "It makes me angry that here is someone who preaches against gay marriage and goes behind the scenes with gay sex." Jones made public accusations in response to Haggard's political support for the Colorado Amendment 43 on November 7, 2006, a Colorado vote that would ban same-sex marriages in the state. Jones told ABC News: "I have to expose hypocrisy, he is in a position to influence millions of followers, and he preaches against gay marriage, but behind everyone [he] does what he preaches." Jones hopes that his statements will affect voters.
Haggard's quick response is a denial. He told Denver television: "I do not have a homosexual relationship with a man in Denver... I stay with my wife I am loyal to my wife." Haggard also said, "I've never used drugs, not even in high school, I do not smoke, I do not do that, I'm not a drug addict We are not a drinking family." I do not smoke. I do not drink socially. We do not drink socially. We have no wine in our house. We do not do such a thing. "Many evangelical leaders initially showed support for Haggard and criticized media reports, including James Dobson who issued a support statement for Haggard, stating:" It is inappropriate that a legitimate news media will report such rumors nothing but a man accusation.... Ted Haggard is a friend of mine, and it seems someone is trying to ruin his reputation as a way of influencing the election results Tuesday - primarily a vote for the Colorado marriage protection amendment, which is strongly supported by Ted. "
Cornered by his voicemail to Mike Jones asking for shabu, Haggard told the press, "I bought it myself but never used it.I was tempted but I never used it." Haggard claims he bought shabu but threw it away. Haggard claims he has never met his accuser. Jones volunteered for a polygraph test at the KHOW radio show hosted by Peter Boyles, where Jones first made the allegations. However, Jones's response during the polygraph test section on whether he had had sex with Haggard showed fraud. The test administrator, John Kresnik, ignored the test results because of the stress of Jones and less eating or sleeping. However, Haggard replied by saying, "We are very grateful that he failed the polygraph test this morning, my accuser did it." Jones was not asked about drug use. Jones expressed doubt that he would repeat the test, saying "I have made my point, he is the one who has discredited himself, he must admit it and continue." Finally, Haggard admits almost all charges against him, including using shabu and resigning from all his leadership positions in religious organizations including the National Association of Evangelicals.
Not present
Because of the scandal, Haggard went on administrative leave from New Life saying "I voluntarily stepped aside from the leadership so that the supervisory process can be allowed to continue with integrity.I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail later in the day. and spiritual guidance. "On November 2, 2006, senior church officials told Colorado Springs KKTV television that Haggard had acknowledged some of the claims made by Jones. In an e-mail to New Life Church parishioners sent on the night of November 2, Senior Pastor Ross Parsley wrote, "It is important for you to know that he [Haggard] confesses to the inspectors that some of the charges against him are true." Haggard admitted that he had bought methamphetamine and received a massage from Jones, but he refused to use drugs or have sex with Jones.
When it became clear that at least some of these claims were true, some evangelical leaders such as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell sought to distance themselves and discourage Haggard's influence on religious conservatives and downplay the importance of NAE. On his television show, The 700 Club, Robertson said, "We are sad to see evangelical leaders fall" and also said the claim that NAE represents thirty million people is "untrue... We can not get financial data I think that's because they have very little money and very little influence. "During the CNN interview, Falwell went on to say," [Haggard] is not really leading the movement. "He is the president of a very loose association... and no one sees them as leaders. " White House spokesman Tony Fratto tried to downplay Haggard's influence in the White House by saying that Haggard only occasionally became part of a weekly call between evangelical leaders and the White House and had visited only "a few" times. Dobson also issued another public statement saying he was "saddened" to know about Haggard's acceptance and that "the possibility that a forbidden relationship has occurred is worrying us and millions of others." James Dobson also stated that "[Haggard] will continue to be my friend, even if the worst charges proved accurate" but "still, sexual sins, whether homosexual or heterosexual, have serious consequences."
Resignation
On November 3, 2006, Haggard's resignation from the National Association of Evangelists was accepted. On 7 November, Leith Anderson was appointed as the new president. Later, the council cited the rules of the megachurch and said his behavior forced them to remove him from his job. The "New Life Church Watchdog" released a statement on Nov. 4 that Haggard had been dismissed as Senior Pastor of the New Life: "Our investigations and the public statements of Pastor Haggard have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he has committed immoral sexual behavior." Ross Parsley, Associate Senior Pastor, was later named Haggard's successor. Haggard then entered counseling by teams including Jack Hayford and Tommy Barnett who expressed their intention to "conduct a thorough analysis of Haggard's mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical life," including the use of polygraph tests. The team included James Dobson, who later stepped aside, citing limited time. H. B. London, Focusing on the vice president Family church and pastor, taking Dobson's place on the team.
Since leaving the church
In April 2007, the Haggards moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to begin the "recovery" process. They attended the Phoenix First Assembly of God, whose pastor, Tommy Barnett, was on his counseling team. Haggard reached an agreement with New Life Church about a severance package that will pay until 2007; one of the conditions is that he has to leave the Colorado Springs area. His last reported earnings were $ 138,000, excluding allowances. Since the scandal broke out, attendance at New Life Church has dropped by about 20 percent with financial support down 10 percent. As a result, the church has laid off 44 employees, representing about 12 percent of its workforce. On February 6, 2008, a new pastor at New Life Church issued a press release announcing that Haggard had requested to leave the team created to "recover" him and that since Haggard's recovery was "incomplete", he could not return to vocational school. service in New Life.
In August 2007, Haggard released a statement requesting money donations to help support his family while he and his wife attended classes at Phoenix University. Haggard said that he pursued a degree in counseling while his wife Gayle was studying psychology. He also announced that his family moved to the Dream Center, a half-way house in Phoenix that serves the recovery of inmates, drug addicts, and prostitutes. After Haggard's request for donations, a member of Haggard's restoration team said he should consult with them before releasing a statement. The news media showed some questions about the need for fundraising, citing the previous six-figure salary, $ 138,000 severance package, $ 85,000 anniversary bonus paid shortly before the scandal broke out, a Colorado Springs Haggards home worth more than $ 600,000, and royalties from many Haggard books. Questions also arise about the tax-free group "Families With a Mission". Haggard requested that the donation be sent to his name. According to Haggard, the group will use 10% of donations for administrative fees and advance 90% to Haggard. But the group was dissolved in February 2007, according to Colorado State Minister. A few days after Haggard's early email statement, his recovery team stepped in to say his statement was "inappropriate" and that "Haggard is a bit ahead of himself." They point out that Haggard will not work in the Dream Center or in any service and that they advise Haggard to seek secular work to support himself and his family.
In June 2008, with the termination of life of the New Life Church, Haggard was "free to live where he wanted" and returned to his home in Colorado Springs. Also in June, an email appeared in which Haggard confessed to masturbating with Jones and taking drugs, as alleged in 2006. Kurt Serpe, who gave the email, said that Haggard "craved sex, he was a sexually crazy woman. " In November 2008, Haggard said in a visiting sermon in the Illinois church that his actions were rooted in sexual abuse by an adult when he was seven years old. He also agreed to appear in the HBO documentary Alexandra Pelosi about his sex scandal titled Ted Haggard Exam , which aired on HBO in January 2009. According to the documentary, Haggard has started a new career to sell insurance.
In January 2009, after the release of Ted Haggard's Exam, Haggard and Gayle's wife appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, Good Morning America , and other national media programs to offer apologies and public recognition of issues that encourage his resignation. The couple also appeared on the court divorce television show in April 2009. On the program, Ted said he wanted his wife to divorce him after the scandal, saying that he thought he had become so "poisonous" that divorce best for Gayle and their kids. On March 11, 2009, Haggard attended the show in New York City, a drama about him and the Colorado Springs evangelical community. In August 2009, Haggard told the Karisma magazine: "I do not believe my childhood experience is an excuse, I fall into sin and fail to extract myself, I am responsible, and I have repented. " He also praised the benefits of a qualified counselor: "I highly recommend quality Christian counseling... to anyone who loses their fight with any kind of compulsive thoughts or behavior.... I believe the generation of believers we must accept that it is not always lack of faith if we need counseling for help with integrity If I go to counseling, I might be able to completely avoid my crisis. "
Because of "repentance broadcast," Haggard and his wife went to church and appeared on radio and television broadcasts. They also started having former church members and friends coming to their homes for "healing meetings," in which Haggard apologized, answered every question, and discussed "how the gospel can inform our response to others who violate biblical standards." The couple has written, traveled, and talked about events of recent years. In November 2009, Haggard began holding prayer meetings in his basement in Colorado Springs. One hundred and ten people attended the first prayer meeting. At the next meeting, a large number of participants forced him to move prayer meetings into the barn. Haggard also says he has been crowned as a watchdog in a church, someone who advises and counsels church leaders on matters of ethics, and religion. In May 2010, Haggard announced that he merged a new church for accounting purposes, and in June 2010, Haggard said he would run a full church. On April 11, 2010, Haggard and his wife conducted an interview at the Lifepoint Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia. There is much controversy about whether the church should pay for this interview or not.
Other allegations appear
On January 23, 2009, less than a week before the Ted Haggard Exam was released on HBO, officials from the former Haggard church announced that a young male church member had advanced in 2006 and that there was " inappropriate, consensual sexual relations lasting for a long time [with Haggard]... it's not a one-time act. " Haggard's successor, Brady Boyd, said the church reached a six-figure settlement with the man, who was in his early 20s at the time. According to the man, the contact was "not consensual". Later reports indicated that the relationship did not involve physical contact, but on one occasion Haggard masturbated in front of a young man, aged 22 at the time. The man, Grant Haas, added that New Life Church paid him $ 179,000 to cover his counseling to help restore the situation, and pay tuition. Haggard publicly acknowledged his second non-sexual relationship with Haas on CNN and other media, and when asked if he had an additional untreated homosexual relationship, Haggard gave no immediate answer. In the aftermath of both New Life allegations paying financial fines to Haas and a documentary about Haggard's struggle being released, attendance and grant dropped substantially in New Life Church, leading to a second round of layoffs in February 2009.
Return to the pulpit in Colorado Springs
In October 2009, Colorado Springs Independent published the first extensive interview with Haggard to appear in the secular press since the 2006 scandal. During the two and a half hour interview, the former pastor spoke of the scandal, his agreement never to return to New Life or the state of Colorado, suicidal ideas, and the prospect of starting a new church in Colorado Springs. "Back in the past," Haggard said, "when someone gets into trouble, they just need to move 40 or 50 miles, or a hundred miles, and they can start again No longer, which is one of the reasons why we should go home. I have to finish this story from here. "
On November 4, Haggard posted a message on his Twitter account announcing his intention to start a public prayer meeting at his home in Colorado Springs. Following such a meeting, Haggard referred to his "resurrection" after his death and burial. On December 7, he began holding prayer meetings at his warehouse.
On June 6, 2010, the first meeting of St. James, with Haggard as pastor, was held at Haggard's house. Newsweek ' June 7, 2010, BACK THE STORY OF HAGGARD's registered edition among prominent conservative activists who have a record of supporting anti-gay laws and then stuck in a gay sex scandal. In a July 2010 interview she gave to CNN, Haggard stated that her sexual attraction to other men miraculously had vanished. Haggard describes his encounter with a male prostitute as a chaotic massage.
Confidence
Haggard has stated that he believes in what is known as the Third Wave of the Holy Spirit and subscribes to a concept referred to as the five-level ministry - a belief often associated with the Charismatic Movement. He has declared that he believes that there is one God who is all-knowing, and that man was created to be with him.
"The Living Church"
Haggard developed a concept he called "The Church Who Gives Life", which is the practice of his ministry. He believes that the churches and their members live "in the Tree of Life" or "in the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil", referring to two trees in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2: 9). He wrote a book, The Life-Giving Church, to explain this difference, and said that motivation is the main difference between two types of Christians. For example, Haggard suggests, two women can stand outside the abortion clinic with signs of protest. The demon of the "tree of life" is there because he loves the unborn and has mercy for both mother and father. Demonstrators of "the tree of knowledge of good and evil" have come because he believes the abortion is evil and must be stopped. "One way we know which tree we live in," writes Haggard, "is our response to sin... one of the greatest signs in carrying His [Christ] character is our response to the sins of others, if we handle others" with a life-giving attitude, then we (and they) have the opportunity to enjoy great strength and freedom. But if we handle the faults of others negatively, we eat from the wrong tree and will begin to die. "Christians living in the" tree of life, "Haggard wrote," cultivate their understanding of right and wrong, and they find insight, wisdom, triumph and joy in the stream of righteousness of Jesus. "Those who live in opposite trees find and display" frustration, judgment, and death. "
In The Life-Giving Church , Haggard established the rule he started that was intended to help other churches by forming their own rules. From the Statement of Faith, to replace a new pastor, all the set of rules is listed at the back of this book. A significant part of the regulation is the Haggard universal payment scale instituted for all pastoral staff. Including himself, all pastors are paid on the same scale so the longer they work, the better the pay. There are also provisions for the number of children in the family and pastoral years of experience. "I was there longer than many others but, if you were a young preacher there, in five years you made what I made for five years."
An important part of Haggard's ministry in New Life Church is based on an entrepreneurial leadership model, which is also included in The Life-Giving Church. Haggard felt that young and upcoming leaders from the church would be stuck in "impractical systems" in their churches and decided to take their talents elsewhere, so the church lost "its brilliant and best future leader". Instead of a top-down command and a control hierarchy in which Haggard makes all decisions and people fall in line, he institutionalizes the concept of a free market that encourages young leaders to debate the best ideas (even to disagree with him) and to pursue God of dreams and visions inspired in their own departments and beyond. In Haggard's Main Purpose , he explains that the normal leadership style used by governments and many companies is top down, while the model of servant leadership he teaches is the opposite. In a visual representation, Haggard uses an inverted triangle to illustrate this concept. The leader is below and the people to be served are at the top. This "Philippians 2" stance comes from a holy book that states, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or arrogant vanity, but in humility, consider others better than you, each of you should not only see your interests, but also for the benefit of others. "" I take a free market approach to it and just want to empower people to serve whatever is in their hearts. " Some of the most notable results of this model are Mill, The Desperation Band, and Desperation interns, Furnace and World Prayer Center, leadership training 24/7 and New Life Groups, a unique brand of small groups of free markets and many others. For example the coaching of young leaders, John Bolin, in the book The Self-Confident Parent, the Extraordinary Teacher he wrote with Haggard, said "[Haggard] talks about communicating with people by improving my posture, tranquility, and sending He painstakingly trained me to stand upright, speak with confidence, look into people's eyes, and speak with concise clarity... he knows I will not be effective... unless I understand the principle of communication and connection with present themselves well ".
Politics
In 2005, Haggard was listed by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelists in America. Haggard is a strong supporter of former US President George W. Bush, and is sometimes credited with rallying evangelicals behind Bush during the 2004 elections. Author Jeff Sharlet reported in 2005 that Haggard "spoke to... Bush or his advisers every Monday" and stated at the time that "no pastor in America holds more power over the political direction of evangelicalism."
Haggard has stated that fighting global warming is an important issue, a divisive issue among Evangelical leaders. Although he personally supports the Evangelical Climate Initiative, NAE takes no position.
The doctrine on homosexuality
In 2006, Haggard and his church supported the Colorado Amendment 43 on the Colorado Constitution. It is provided, "Only the union of one man and one woman is lawful or recognized as a marriage in this country." Although Colorado's law has defined marriage as between a man and a woman, Haggard and other gay marriage opponents seek to perpetuate a ban in the state constitution, so the Colorado Supreme Court will not have the power to declare unconstitutional laws. In the movie Jesus Camp , Haggard said, "we do not have to argue about what we should think about homosexual activity, it's written in the Bible." Haggard initially opposed same-sex marriage, but supported civil unions for homosexual couples. He then came to support same-sex marriage as a civil institution, saying that while he still believes it is forbidden under biblical law, he feels that "we must be careful not to inculcate [biblical law] into civil law."
Under the leadership of Haggard, NAE released "For the Nation's Health: Evangelical Calls for Civil Responsibility" at the end of 2004, "a document urging engagement in traditional cultural war issues such as abortion and gay marriage but also poverty, education, taxes, welfare , and immigration. "NAE has stated that" homosexual activity, such as unfaithful relationships, is clearly condemned in the Scriptures. "
Television and movie appearances
Haggard has appeared on several broadcast network programs, including Dateline NBC and ABC 20/20 . He also appeared in the documentaries of Jesus Camp, the History Channel documentary
In early 2006, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins interviewed Haggard as part of a British television documentary entitled The Root of All Evil? . During this interview, Dawkins spoke with Haggard about the contradiction between the cumulative knowledge generated by science, and the literal interpretation of the Bible (especially the story of his creation). In response, Haggard confessed "fully embracing the scientific method." Haggard then states that the conclusion of the method concerning the age of the earth and evolution is merely the result of "some of the views received in some parts of the scientific community." According to Dawkins in the documentary, he and his camera crew were approached by Haggard in his vehicle as they exited the church property after the interview. Haggard allegedly demanded they leave or he would be "thrown into jail" and would "seize the film".
in 2012 Haggard appeared on the reality television show Celebrity Wife Swap , where he exchanged wife for one week with Gary Busey.
Personal life
Haggard has been married to Gayle Alcorn since 1978. The couple has five children: Christy (1981), Marcus (1983) (founder and former pastor of Boulder Street Church, Colorado Springs), Jonathan (1987), Alex (1990), and Elliott (1993).
In an interview published in the February 2011 edition of GQ , Haggard said, "I think maybe, if I was 21 years old in this community, I would identify myself as a bisexual," adding that " You are a heterosexual but you do not have sex with every woman you like, so I can be who I am and exclusively have sex with my wife and feel completely satisfied. "
Books
- Main Purpose (1995) ISBNÃ, 0-88419-381-0
- Loving Your Town to Kingdom (1997) ISBN 0-8307-1895-8 - (with Jack W. Hayford)
- Confident Old Person, Extraordinary Teens (1999) ISBNÃ, 0-310-23339-9 - (with John Bolin)
- The Life-Giving Church (2001) ISBNÃ, 0-8307-2659-4
- Training of Dogs, Fishing and Sharing Christ in the 21st Century (2002) ISBN 0-7852-6514-7
- Strong Prayer for a Strong Life (2002) ISBNÃ, 0-8307-3055-9
- Letter From Home (2003) ISBNÃ, 0-8307-3058-3
- Take it to the Streets (2005) ISBNÃ, 0-8307-3729-4
- No Fool Again! (2005) ISBNÃ, 1-4000-7028-7
- The Jerusalem Diet (2005) ISBNÃ, 1-4000-7220-4
- Your Primary Destination (2006) ISBNÃ, 1-59185-623-X
- Starting Today: Make Your Last Vow for Life (2006) ISBNÃ, 1-4000-7255-7 - (with Gayle Haggard)
See also
- Constantine's sword
- Conversion therapy
- World Prayer Center
References
External links
- Official website
- saintjameschurch.com
- Ted Haggard on IMDb
- Ted Haggard at AllMovie
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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