Haggard: 'I am a deceiver and a liar'
Jean Torkelson and Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News
Published November 5, 2006 at midnight
COLORADO SPRINGS - Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard on Sunday admitted sexual indiscretions and issued an emotional apology to his flock.
His two-page letter was read to 8,500 parishioners who attended the first of two services at New Life Church, a megachurch founded by Haggard in his basement two decades ago.
Haggard was dismissed from his leadership post Saturday.
He apologized profusely in the letter, read by Larry Stockstill, senior pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center in Baker, La., and one of four independent church leaders who recommended ousting Haggard.
"I am so sorry for the circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment for all of you," Haggard wrote, adding that he had confused the issue by telling reporters he never had sexual contact with a former male prostitute.
"The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality," Haggard said. "And I take responsibility for the entire problem. I am a deceiver and a liar. There’s a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life."
Haggard, 50, apologized for setting a bad example.
Congregants wiped tears away as they listened to the remarks along with a one-page letter written by Haggard’s wife, Gayle.
Her letter got a good-hearted laugh when she wrote that some have said in the past that her marriage was so perfect she couldn’t possibly understand the troubles other wives face.
In his letter, Haggard said the accusations against him were not all true, but that he was "appropriately removed from his church leadership position."
Acting Senior Pastor Rev. Ross Parsley said the church will survive because it is greater than one man.
"It’s OK to be angry," Parsley said. "It’s OK to grieve. It’s OK to be sad. In fact, I think it is right and proper. This is a family and a group of people who love Pastor Ted and Gayle Haggard."
He praised church leaders for moving swiftly to address the allegations, and said the scandal could benefit the congregation by humanizing Haggard.
"Listen, we all feel worse today than a week ago, but we were actually worse off a week ago than we are today," Parsley said. "It’s an incredible thing you are witnessing."
"Pastor Ted is living in a greater measure of repentance than he has in years."
Congregant Steve Martin, 51, owner of two stores in the Chapel Hills Mall, said he doesn’t come to church every week but he wanted to be there Sunday.
When he first heard about the scandal, he said he was "gob-smacked," as they say in England.
But Martin said Haggard has played a key role in his life.
"Ted’s blessed me for 20 years," Martin said. "I think the Gospel should be spoken with a lot of joy and I don’t know anyone who did that better than Ted Haggard."
On Thursday, Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after Mike Jones, a former male prostitute in Denver, said on a radio show that he had participated in drug-fueled sexual encounters with Haggard over the past three years.
Jones, who is gay, said he went public after learning that the man he knew as "Art" was really a major church leader who had campaigned in favor of a ballot measure that would constitutionally ban gay marriage.
Voters will decide on the issue when they go to the polls Tuesday.
Haggard placed himself on administrative leave from the church once the matter became public.
On Friday, Haggard admitted paying Jones for a massage and for methamphetamine, but said he did not have sex with him and did not use the meth.
Jones expressed sadness upon hearing of Haggard’s dismissal.
The National Association of Evangelicals has named President Leith Anderson, senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., as interim president.
- The Associated Press Contributed to this report.
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