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Haggard Fired by Church
The board of New Life Church, has fired Ted Haggerd as senior pastor.
The blog Colorado Confidential has posted the letter, which reads in part:
We, the Overseer Board of New Life Church, have concluded our deliberations concerning the moral failings of Pastor Ted Haggard. Our investigation and Pastor Haggard's public statements have proven without a doubt that he has committed sexually immoral conduct.
The language of our church bylaws state that as Overseers we must decide in cases where the Senior Pastor has "demonstrated immoral conduct" whether we must "remove the pastor from his position or to discipline him in any way they deem necessary."
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 and removal. |
The national media has just begun to cover the story, and it seems likely that the reverberations will be felt for a long time.
The moral center of the story is a gay prostitute named Mike Jones who has said that the hypocrisy of Haggard's strident antigay activities made him angry. Jones says he came forward on his own, consulted no one and is unconnected to any political groups.
Here is what he told an interviewer on MSNBC:
COSBY: If Reverend Haggard is watching right now, what do you want to say to him?
JONES: You know, I want to tell him that I'm really sorry that he's in the position that he's in. You know, what this proves is we're all human. We all are sinners, but when you are in a position of authority and a role model for millions of people, you really need to practice what you preach.
Haggard Fired by Church | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
Haggard Fired by Church | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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