http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/ousted-evangelist-confesses-to/20061102182309990027?ncid=NWS00010000000001COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 5) - Saying he was a "deceiver and liar" who had given into his dark side, the Rev. Ted Haggard confessed to sexual immorality Sunday in a letter read from the pulpit of the megachurch he founded.
The disgraced former president of the National Evangelical Association, which represents 30 million evangelical Christians, said "because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn't want to hurt or disappoint them."
In a letter that was read to the congregation of the New Life Church by another clergyman, Haggard apologized for his acts and requested forgiveness. Neither Haggard nor his wife, Gayle, attended.
"I am so sorry for the circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment for all of you," he said, adding that he had confused the situation by giving inconsistent remarks to reporters denying the scandal.
"The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality. 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," he said.
Haggard resigned last week as NEA president, a post from which he held sway in Washington and condemned homosexuality, after a man claimed to have had drug-fueled homosexual trysts with him. Haggard also placed himself on administrative leave from the New Life Church, which has 14,000 members, but its independent Overseer Board fired him on Saturday.
In his letter, Haggard said "the accusations made against me are not all true but enough of them are that I was appropriately removed from my church leadership position."
He did not give details on which accusations were true.
As the letter from Haggard and another from his wife were read at the first morning service, some people in the standing-room only crowd in the 8,000-seat auditorium wiped away tears and put their arms around each other. Gayle Haggard promised to remain with her husband, and the audience laughed when she said they no longer had to worry about her marriage being so perfect she couldn't relate to them.
At least one national evangelical leader saw the confession as a possible opening for better relations between gay activists and evangelicals. "There is something good, believe it or not, that could come out of this. My hope and prayer is that this whole tawdry affair will lessen some of the vitriol that has gone on between gay rights activists and evangelicals," said Rich Cizik, vice president of the NEA.
"I had always expected him to do the right thing. God bless him," Cizik added.
Ryan Price and his finance, Karen Geyer, of Colorado Springs, also were impressed. "It seemed genuine - from the heart. It's unfortunate but it happens," said Geyer. "He's reaching out and asking for forgiveness," said Price.
Jessa Schreiber, a Christian therapist from Hamilton, Ohio, who also attended the service, said the timing was good because the whole world was watching because of the Tuesday elections. "I think God ordained this time to show the love of Christians for one another and above all his love for us and the need for the savior," she said.
The Haggard letter was read to the church by the Rev. Larry Stockstill, senior pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center in Baker, La., and a member of the board that fired him.
Youngsters were sent out of the room before elders began speaking about the church crisis.
"Worshippers are always challenged by crisis. And when tragedy and crisis strikes it is at that moment that you truly decide if you are a worshipper of the most high god. And today as the worship pastor of this church I am very proud of you," said the Rev. Ross Parsley, who stepped in for Haggard.
"I am so grateful for the government system in place here at this church. ... The speed with which things were dealt with this week has been a testimony to the godliness, to the integrity and authority of the overseers of the board of this church," he said.
Haggard, 50, had acknowledged on Friday that he paid Mike Jones of Denver for a massage and for methamphetamine, but said he did not have sex with him and did not take the drug.
The Overseer Board, made up of clergy from various churches, used stronger language.
"Our investigation and Pastor Haggard's public statements have proven without a doubt that he has committed sexually immoral conduct," the board said in a statement.
The NEA, representing 30 million evangelicals, named the Rev. Leith Anderson, senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., as its interim president.
Jones said in a telephone interview Sunday: "I am sad for him and his family. I know this is a tough day for him also. I wish him well. I wish his family well. My intent was never to destroy his family. My intent was to expose a hypocrite.
"I hope the healing process can start. I welcome his request for forgiveness for me."
Haggard's situation is a disappointment to Christian conservatives, whom President Bush and other Republicans are courting heavily in the run-up to Tuesday's election.
Many were already disheartened with the president and the Republican-controlled Congress over their failure to deliver big gains on social issues even before the congressional page scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley.
Haggard, who had been president of the evangelical association since 2003, has participated in conference calls with White House staffers and lobbied Congress last year on Supreme Court nominees.
Haggard founded New Life in the mid-1980s and held its first services in the basement of his Colorado Springs home.
Jones, who said he is gay, said he was upset when he discovered who Haggard was and found out that New Life had publicly opposed same-sex marriage - a key issue in Colorado, with a pair of issues on Tuesday's ballot.
Associated Press reporter Robert Weller in Denver contributed to this report.
11/05/06 17:52 EST
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Mmm.. more good news for Christianity's image.
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