COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The leader of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals, a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, resigned yesterday after being accused of paying for sex with a man in monthly trysts over the past three years.
The Rev. Ted Haggard, a married father of five who has been called one of the most influential evangelical Christians in the nation, denied the allegations. His accuser refused to share with the Associated Press voice mails that he said backed up his claim.
Haggard also stepped down as head of his 14,000-member New Life Church while a church panel investigates, 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.”
Haggard told KUSA-TV late Wednesday: “Never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife, I'm faithful to my wife.”
But Ross Parsley, the acting senior pastor at New Life, said in an interview with KKTV-TV posted on the station's Web site that there had been “some admission of indiscretion” by Haggard. When asked if the church had been shocked by the allegations, Parsley said it was a “difficult process.”
The allegations come as voters in Colorado and seven other states get ready to decide whether to ban gay marriage. 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. Jones, who said he is gay, said he was 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,” said Jones, who added that he isn't working for any political group.
Jones, whose allegations were first aired on KHOW-AM radio in Denver, said Haggard paid him to have sex nearly every month over three years. Jones also said Haggard snorted methamphetamine before their sexual encounters to heighten the experience.
Haggard, 50, and his attorney, Martin Nussbaum, did not return calls last night from the AP.
Jones said that he had advertised himself as an escort on the Internet and that a man who called himself Art contacted him. Jones said he later saw the man on television identified as Haggard. Jones said he has voice mail messages from Haggard, as well as an envelope he said Haggard used to mail him cash, though he declined to make any of it available to the press.
“There's some stuff on there (the voice mails) that's pretty damning,” he said.
