COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—New Life Church will recover from jarring new allegations in the 2-year-old sex scandal that brought down founder Ted Haggard because “there’s a holy tenacity in here,” Pastor Brady Boyd said Sunday.
“You guys won’t quit,” Boyd told a nearly full house at the megachurch, two days after revelations that a male church volunteer reported having a sexual relationship with Haggard.
It’s the second such claim against Haggard. In late 2006, a male prostitute in Denver said he had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with the former New Life pastor.
“I’m sorry that this wound has been reopened for many of you,” Boyd said.
“One day we may have a little scar tissue, but the wounds will not define us,” he said, to applause from the congregation.
Haggard confessed to undisclosed “sexual immorality” after the earlier allegations, left New Life and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals. He has declined to comment on the new claim.
On Friday, Boyd said church officials had learned of the second set of claims against Haggard in late 2006, shortly after the male prostitute made his allegations.
Boyd said an “overwhelming pool of evidence” pointed to an “inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship” involving the volunteer that “went on for a long period of time … it wasn’t a one-time act.” Boyd said the man was in his early 20s at the time. He said he was certain the man was of legal age when it began.
Boyd said that under a legal settlement the church reached with the man in 2007, neither side was to discuss the matter publicly. Boyd said he couldn’t have spoken up anyway because he was counseling the man.
“I’m a pastor…. There are times I have to use discretion,” he said. “I will not call a news conference or a family meeting every time someone comes to me for counseling.”
Boyd did speak publicly only after learning the man had talked to a Colorado Springs TV station.
KRDO reported that the man gave the station an audio recording of his conversations with Haggard. In them, Haggard calls the relationship “inappropriate” and asks for forgiveness, the station said.
Boyd said the settlement paid the man for counseling and college. He said the money came from insurance, not member’s contributions.
Church officials said Boyd would have no comment Sunday beyond his remarks to the congregation.
Longtime church member Doug Prensner worried that some people outside the church have been told the male counselor was paid hush money. That’s not the case, he said, citing what church leaders have told the congregation.
“This was compassionate care, assistance money to help him heal and get on with his life,” Prensner said.
New Life members and leaders said the latest public disclosures were no surprise. In early 2007, the church disclosed that an investigation uncovered new evidence that Haggard engaged in “sordid conversation” and “improper relationships”—but didn’t go into detail. One church board member had said there was no evidence that Haggard had sexual relations with anyone but Mike Jones, the former male prostitute.
“I don’t think the people in the church are surprised,” said Wanda Moore, who works in pastoral care for women at New Life. “They’re disappointed and they’re hurt.”
Jessica Sheasby, an associate child pastor for New Life, said church members she has spoken to have been hopeful since the new disclosures.
“I’ve actually heard a lot of hope, because they know that Pastor Brady is one that protects us and takes care of us,” she said.
