Haggard, church on the ropes...again

Perhaps youve heard these names before. Perhaps you know the stories behind the names. Charles Parham. Jimmy Swaggart. Jim Bakker. Joe Ratcliff. Earl Paulk. JD Husbands. Roberts Liardon. Terry Hornbuckle. There are many more of lesser stature, but the ugly fact is here we are...again.

I couldn't believe my ears. Or my eyes. But then again, there was a feeling that it was true.
Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the powerful National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of the 14,000 New Life Church in Colorado Springs was accused this week by a self professed male escort of having a three year sexual relationship with the escort. Apparently the "evangelical church" hasn't heeded this, written just six months ago.

"Stories abound of pastors snared by sexual transgression. The problems transcend theology and ecclesiology. A pervasive culture of sensuality and disregard for communal accountability guarantees that some pastors will struggle with all sorts of sexual temptation. Toss into this mix the internet's availability and anonymity, which have spread the reach of pornography and clandestine sexual encounters."

I'm sure shock waves will reverberate around the evangelical community, not because Haggard was caught in this messy mess of a mess, but because he was such an outspoken opponent of homosexual rights. When I spoke at the 24 Hour Marriage Crisis Summit in Washington DC in 2005, (and later Apostle Kim Daniels) warned hundreds of mostly black pastors assembled that God was going to let the devil pull the covers off those who were sneaking around with homosexuals behind the scenes.

While initally denying that he had any involvement with the escort, Haggard has now "admitted to some of the indiscretions", but not all of them. In this case, any of them present serious implications for all of them.

Its quite understandable and to be expected that if Ted Haggard carried on this adulterous relationship for three years while publicly preaching against it, sooner or later it would catch up to him. The later has come and with it another avalanche of disbelief. Homosexuals have a right to use this as a whipping post of the hypocritical preachers who are engaged in these types of travesties. Add Haggard's name to the list above and then church needs to stop this insane cultic pastor-worship and hold men and women accountable. In the end, its the sheep who suffer the most.
1 Corinthians 9:27 (American Standard Version)
But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.