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Disgraced pastor faces more gay sex accusations
DENVER – Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard's
former church disclosed Friday that the gay sex scandal that caused his
downfall extends to a young male church volunteer who reported having a
sexual relationship with Haggard — a revelation that comes as Haggard
tries to repair his public image.
Brady Boyd, who succeeded Haggard as senior pastor of the 10,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, told The Associated Press that the man came
forward to church officials in late 2006 shortly after a Denver male
prostitute claimed to have had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship
with Haggard.
Boyd said an
"overwhelming pool of evidence" pointed to an "inappropriate,
consensual sexual relationship" 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.
Reached Friday night, Haggard
declined to comment and said all interviews would have to be arranged
through a publicist for HBO, which is airing a documentary about him
this month.
Boyd said the church
reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college
tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved
discuss the matter publicly.
Boyd said
a Colorado Springs TV station reached him Thursday to say the young man
was planning to provide a detailed report of his relationship with
Haggard to the station. Boyd said the church preferred to keep the
matter private, but it was the man's decision to go public.
The
disclosure comes as Haggard, 52, is about to give a series of
high-profile interviews to promote the cable documentary about his time
in exile. He is scheduled to appear on CNN's Larry King Live on
Thursday, the date of the documentary's premiere, and already has taped
"The Oprah Winfrey Show."
In early 2007, New Life Church disclosed that an investigation uncovered new evidence that Haggard
engaged in "sordid conversation" and "improper relationships" — but
didn't go into detail. Earlier, a church board member had said there
was no evidence that Haggard had sexual relations with anyone but Mike Jones, the former male prostitute.
Haggard confessed to undisclosed "sexual immorality" after Jones' allegations and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and from New Life Church, where he faced being fired.
Anticipating
criticism of the settlement with the former church volunteer, Boyd said
Friday that it was in the best interests of all involved. He would not
name the volunteer or the settlement amount.
"It
wasn't at all a settlement to make him be quiet or not tell his story,"
Boyd said. "Our desire was to help him. Here was a young man who wanted
to get on with his life. We considered it more compassionate assistance
— certainly not hush money.
I know what's what everyone will want to say because that's the most
salacious thing to say, but that's not at all what it was."
He
said that "secondarily, it's not great for our church either" that the
story be told. Boyd said Haggard knew about the settlement two years
ago.
In a letter e-mailed Friday to New Life Church members,
Boyd said of the settlement and agreement not to talk: "This decision
was made not as an attempt to conceal wrongdoings, but to protect him
from those who would seek to exploit him. His actions now suggest that
he has changed his mind."
The letter
said the church "received reports of a number of incidents of
inappropriate behavior" after Haggard's fall. "In each case, we have
tried our very best to do the right thing each time, including
disciplinary action when appropriate."
Boyd
said the "inappropriate behavior" referred to the man who was the
volunteer involved with Haggard. After Haggard's fall, another church
staff member resigned after admitting to what was described as "sexual
misconduct."
Boyd said the church will not take action against the man if he tells his story in the press.
"We have legal standing to do that, but not the desire to," he said.
Boyd
said he had spoken to the man once and came away with the impression
that he was speaking out because of the documentary. "I think what
caused this young man to be a bit aggravated was Ted being seen as a
victim, when he himself had experienced a great deal of hurt," Boyd
said. "I seriously doubt this man would have come forward if the
documentary had not been made."
A spokeswoman for the documentary, "The Trials of Ted Haggard," declined to comment Friday.
David Clohessy, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests — which has largely focused on the Catholic sexual abuse scandal but
also speaks out on cases involving Protestant clergy — said the new
disclosures about Haggard are more disturbing because they involves a
church volunteer.
"Technically, legally, they were both adults," Clohessy said.
"Psychologically and emotionally, Haggard was dramatically more
powerful. ... By definition, any sexual contact between a congregant
and minister is inherently abusive and manipulative."
In an AP interview this month before an appearance in front of
TV critics in California, Haggard described his sexuality as complex
and something that can't be put into "stereotypical boxes."