FOX News: Top Evangelical Leader Resigns Amid Allegations of Gay Affair

**Little Dreamer** · 11.02.06, 10:54 PM

OLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Rev. Ted Haggard resigned as president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals on Thursday after being accused of paying a man for sex in monthly trysts over the past three years.

Haggard — an outspoken opponent of the drive for gay marriage — also stepped down as senior pastor at his 14,000-member New Life Church pending an investigation by a church panel, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."

"I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," Haggard said in a written statement. "I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."

Haggard, a married father of five, denied the allegations in an interview with KUSA-TV late Wednesday: "Never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife, I'm faithful to my wife."

The allegations came as voters in Colorado and seven other states prepare to decide ban-gay-marriage amendments next Tuesday. Besides the proposed ban on the Colorado ballot, a separate measure would establish the legality of domestic partnerships providing same-sex couples with many of the rights of married couples.

Mike Jones, 49, of Denver told the AP he decided to go public with his allegations because of the political fight.

"I just want people to step back and take a look and say, 'Look, we're all sinners, we all have faults, but if two people want to get married, just let them, and let them have a happy life,"' said Jones, who added that he isn't actively working for any political group.

Jones, who said he is gay, said he was also upset when he discovered Haggard and the New Life Church had publicly opposed same-sex marriage.

"It made me angry that here's someone preaching about gay marriage and going behind the scenes having gay sex," Jones said.

Jones, whose allegations were first aired on KHOW-AM radio in Denver, claimed Haggard paid him to have sex nearly every month over three years. He said he advertised himself as an escort on the Internet and was contacted by a man who called himself Art.

Jones said he later saw the man on television identified as Haggard. He said he last had sex with Haggard in August and did not warn him before making his allegations public this week.

Jones said he has voice mails from Haggard as well as an envelope he said Haggard used to mail him cash. He declined to make any of it available to the AP.

"There's some stuff on there (the voice mails) that's pretty damning," he said.

Haggard, a 1978 graduate of Oral Roberts University, was appointed president of the association in March 2003 and has been called one of the most influential evangelical Christians in the nation. He has participated in conservative Christian leaders' conference calls with White House staffers and lobbied members of Congress last year on U.S. Supreme Court appointees after Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement.

Richard Cizik, vice president for government affairs for the evangelicals' association, expressed shock.

"Is this something I can imagine of Ted Haggard? No," he said.

Carolyn Haggard, spokeswoman for the New Life Church and the pastor's niece, said a four-member church panel will investigate the allegations.

The board is comprised of the Rev. Larry Stockstill in Baker, La., the Rev. Mark Cowart of Colorado Springs, the Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur and the Rev. Michael Ware of Westminster. The board has the authority of to discipline Haggard, including removing him from ministry work.

"This is really routine when any sort of situation like this arises, so we're prepared," Carolyn Haggard said. "The church is going to continue to serve and be welcoming to our community. That's a priority."

I've got only one thing to say about this hypocrite scumbag: YOU GOT OWNED!!!

**LLFHS** · 11.02.06, 11:06 PM

"Just do as I say, don't do as I do..."
'Jesus, He Knows Me', Genesis

**Glenn** · 11.02.06, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by Little Dreamer

Mike Jones, 49

49?? How's an altar boy to compete with that??

**FORD** · 11.03.06, 01:25 AM

Another week, another gay Republican hypocrite.

So gay marriage is bad, but paying a guy to fuck you in the ass every week is OK, eh Pastor Haggard??

**Red** · 11.03.06, 02:27 PM

So he's automatically guilty, he's automatically a Republican, and the gay prostitute is credible.

Yeah, he probably did it, or something close to it. Not saying he didn't.

Just try not to lump all Christians, Republicans, and Jesus himself in with this guy, if you can help yourselves.

**FORD** · 11.03.06, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by Red

So he's automatically guilty, he's automatically a Republican, and the gay prostitute is credible.

Yeah, he probably did it, or something close to it. Not saying he didn't.

Just try not to lump all Christians, Republicans, and Jesus himself in with this guy, if you can help yourselves.

Of course he's a Republican. What part of "He's an evangelical from Colorado Springs who talks to Chimpy every week" did you miss?

As for associating Jesus with this guy, I would never do such a thing. Most of these fundagelical Pharisees wouldn't know the teachings of Jesus Christ if He walked into their own church and started preaching them.

**hain23x** · 11.03.06, 02:47 PM

another classic case of Republican self hate

that party really needs to come off their gay burning

**sickman** · 11.03.06, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by hain23x

another classic case of Republican self hate

that party really needs to come off their gay burning

The media has to come off their gay bashing. They are the ones who portray being gay as something bad. Unless you are Barney Frank and have a male prostitute living with you and running his business out of your home.

**FORD** · 11.03.06, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by sickman

The media has to come off their gay bashing. They are the ones who portray being gay as something bad. Unless you are Barney Frank and have a male prostitute living with you and running his business out of your home.

No, Ted FAGgard portrayed being gay as something bad. As does Spongebob Jimmy Dobson. Hell, Falwell & Robertson blamed the queers for 9-11. And the Republican politicians like Mark Foley, Lindsey Graham, David Drier, etc. who live openly with their "personal assistants" while voting on legislation which effectively makes homosexuals second class citizens.

These self hating Republican homos are making life worse for all of us, regardless of sexual orientation. Because the red state trailer park is pulled to the polls by their ridiculous wedge issues and vote to shred the constitution while they are there.

**graeme** · 11.03.06, 05:14 PM

Where's the surprise here.

The man wears a dress to work.......

.......kind of like turning up to a dinner party with full camoflage, a crossbow and a Charlston Heston badge, with Ted Nugent playing on your ipod and a bloody dead deer slung over your back and berating people for eating the steak.

**Little Dreamer** · 11.03.06, 05:35 PM

This just in:

CNN.com - Pastor admits buying meth

A top evangelical leader who is accused of paying a male prostitute for sex admitted today he contacted his accuser "for a massage" and purchased methamphetamine from him. But the Rev. Ted Haggard said he never had sex with Mike Jones and threw away the drugs.

Nice, the guy was also doing meth! The same guy who supposedly was a spiritual leader for 30 million people, telling them what is right and what is wrong!!!

**hain23x** · 11.03.06, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by sickman

The media has to come off their gay bashing. They are the ones who portray being gay as something bad.

let see,,, I can't seem to find that clip of Wolf Blitzer holding up a "God hates fags" sign on the side of a road over at Youtube or CNN.com...

nope...

looking...

can't ...find..it..anywhere...

**hain23x** · 11.03.06, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Little Dreamer

This just in:

CNN.com - Pastor admits buying meth

A top evangelical leader who is accused of paying a male prostitute for sex admitted today he contacted his accuser "for a massage" and purchased methamphetamine from him. But the Rev. Ted Haggard said he never had sex with Mike Jones and threw away the drugs.

yet on the answering machine tape he is clearly heard saying that he wants to buy "more"

**FORD** · 11.03.06, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by hain23x

let see,,, I can't seem to find that clip of Wolf Blitzer holding up a "God hates fags" sign on the side of a road over at Youtube or CNN.com...

nope...

looking...

can't ...find..it..anywhere...

You do realize that's an open invitation for Photoshopping, right?

**Menlow** · 11.03.06, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by Little Dreamer

This just in:

CNN.com - Pastor admits buying meth

A top evangelical leader who is accused of paying a male prostitute for sex admitted today he contacted his accuser "for a massage" and purchased methamphetamine from him. But the Rev. Ted Haggard said he never had sex with Mike Jones and threw away the drugs.

Nice, the guy was also doing meth! The same guy who supposedly was a spiritual leader for 30 million people, telling them what is right and what is wrong!!!

I guess in his opinion it's better to admit to drug use than to gay sex.