Son's sermon gets applause

Younger Haggard tells flock: 'We don't shoot our wounded'

David Montero, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 6, 2006 at midnight

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COLORADO SPRINGS - The Sunday service began like most any other Sunday.

The worship band sang to up-tempo guitars and drums, and many in the congregation held their arms to the sky, singing.

The 23-year-old pastor, Marcus Haggard, sat on a stool at the altar and took a drink from a disposable cup. All eyes were on him and, sensing the moment, he quickly cracked a joke about how fast this particular sermon would be.

It got a few chuckles. Haggard smiled. Then, for about 15 minutes, he went on to explain to the Boulder Street Church how he is dealing with the allegations that his father had a three-year sexual affair with a gay prostitute and how his flock should respond.

"We don't shoot our wounded," he said.

The scandal rocked the 14,000-member New Life Church, resulting in Ted Haggard's dismissal this weekend and his earlier resignation as head of the National Association of Evangelicals.

"We all sin," the younger Haggard said. "If there is one thing we Christians should never really be surprised by - it's that people sin. That's rarely a shocker for us. We understand that better than anybody else on planet Earth."

Wearing an open-collared green shirt and dark slacks, the young pastor said the ordeal has been rough on him, but he urged those at his Boulder Street Church to "stay strong" in the glare of the scandal. He told them it isn't always easy and admitted to struggling with the news as well.

"I know I've had to take time to genuinely process the emotions that are there," he said. "They will range from anger, frustration, sorrow, questioning, uncertainty and strength - all of those things."

But he urged the 150 in the church to use the attention of the scandal to be Christ-like - to represent their faith and show that they've never bought into the "personality cult" of charismatic leaders.

"The world is watching," he said. "That, my friends, is opportunity. To demonstrate what our love is like."

Later, he added: "Let's not get caught up thinking about ourselves. Let's take the time to heal. But let's remember we're still serving God," he said. "We're still the light. None of that has shifted or changed."

The congregation applauded him at the end of his sermon. After communion, Marcus Haggard exited out the back while the congregation sang. He had told them earlier he wouldn't be able to stick around because he was needed at New Life Church's second morning service.

Afterward, church members chatted with each other - many with children laughing and talking about topics other than the scandal.

As most trickled out of the brick building, 62-year-old Steve Starr said he was impressed by the pastor's sermon and his temperament during the talk.

"I am humbled to the extreme," he said.

monterod@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5236

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