Ted, hard at work winning hearts and minds and dollars and reprimands
Pastor In Gay Sex Scandal Pleads For Cash
by The Associated Press
Posted: August 25, 2007 - 11:00 am ET
(Colorado Springs, Colorado) The Rev. Ted Haggard, who left the megachurch he founded after admitting to "sexual immorality," has asked supporters for financial assistance while he and his wife pursue their studies.
The former New Life Church pastor plans to seek a master's degree in counseling at the University of Phoenix while his wife studies psychology, he said in an e-mail sent this week to KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs.
The couple and two of their sons planned to move Oct. 1 to the Phoenix Dream Center, a faith-based halfway house in Phoenix, where Haggard and his wife would provide counseling, the e-mail said.
"It looks as though it will take two years for us to have adequate earning power again, so we are looking for people who will help us monthly for two years," the e-mail said. "During that time we will continue as full-time students, and then, when I graduate, we won't need outside support any longer."
Haggard left the 10,000-member New Life Church late last year and resigned as head of the National Association of Evangelicals after a former male escort accused Haggard of paying him for sex.
Mike Ware, an overseer for New Life Church, told The Gazette of Colorado Springs on Friday that it was premature of Haggard to release the statement without first consulting the overseers.
A New Life spokesman did not immediately return a phone message left late Friday by The Associated Press.
Haggard received a salary of $115,000 for the 10 months he worked in 2006 and an $85,000 anniversary bonus before the scandal broke, The Gazette reported. Haggard's severance package included a year's salary of $138,000, and he collects royalties on his book titles, the newspaper reported.
El Paso County records show Haggard's home, which has been up for sale, has a market value of $715,051.
God Loves You Baby!
©365Gay.com 2007
Haggard Slapped By Church Overseers Over Cash Plea
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: August 30 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Denver, Colorado) Ted Haggard has been warned he has violated an agreement over his departure from the church he led after admitting he had an an affair and purchased drugs from a male prostitute.
Last week Haggard sent an email to KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs saying he would become a counselor at a faith-based halfway house in Phoenix and would need money while he and his wife pursue degrees. (story)
"It looks as though it will take two years for us to have adequate earning power again, so we are looking for people who will help us monthly for two years," the e-mail said. "During that time we will continue as full-time students, and then, when I graduate, we won't need outside support any longer."
When news of the email became public the overseers of the New Life Church arranged a meeting with Haggard on Wednesday.
New Life Church overseer Mike Ware in a statement following the meting in Denver said that Haggard was told "his plan and his communications about it were unacceptable."
The statement said that the overseers warned Haggard he had violated the terms of his departure as minister of the church. Specifically the agreement said that in return for a year's salary and continued support from the church he would leave the ministry and refrain fro publicly speaking about the hustler scandal.
The overseers' statement also disputed Haggard's claim he would provide counseling at the Dream Center.
"It was never the intention of the Dream Center that Mr. Haggard would provide any counsel or other ministry," the statement said.
Above censuring Haggard the statement from the overseers did not say if Haggard was punished further.
An outspoken critic of homosexuality Haggard was outed last year by former hustler Mike Jones in the days leading up to vote in Colorado to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
The story broke when Jones brought tapes of conversations with Haggard to Denver TV station KUSA. Jones told the station that he had a long term pay for ex relationship with Haggard and had helped the pastor buy crystal meth.
After first denying the affair and drug purchase Haggard admitted both.
He was subsequently fired by the church and forced to resign as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a position which had given him unbridled access to the White House. (story)
©365Gay.com 2007
I want some footage of inside "The Dream Center".
I bet it is a real train wreck of humanity. Ick.
Comments
luv dg
And the thing that makes me want to rip my intestines out with my bare hands and strangle tedhaggis (hahaha, dg) is that someone somewhere is going to send that asshole money! ARRRRRRGHHHHHH.
"adequate earning power" - what a joke!