‘Disqualified’ Pastor Ted Haggard Starting New Church

[BarrySoetoro]

(AP) Ted Haggard, the former anti-gay megachurch pastor who fell from grace amid a sex scandal involving a male prostitute, is starting a new church in Colorado Springs.

Disgraced Pastor Ted Haggard Starting New Church - CBS News

1 Timothy 3:1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into DISGRACE and into the devil's trap.

1 Cor. 9: 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be DISQUALIFIED for the prize.

1 Tim 5:22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself PURE.

This man doesn't even qualify for the position of deacon, who is to be above reproach. That's what happens when church-folk choose style over substance.

No Christian should ever set foot in this man's 'church,' lest they wish to share in this man's sins. Pastors, deacons, deaconesses, and teachers are held to a higher standard and should not get a second chance to hold a church office, according to scripture.

Let Satan first destroy this man's sinful nature, and then perhaps he can be welcomed into a church as a parishioner. Ted Haggard's arrogance in this matter is a sign of a lack of reverence for God's holiness. May he and his naive followers escape this unholy work as those escaping from a burning building (1 Cor.).

 

[katautumn]

I saw an HBO documentary on him. At first I thought it was hilariously ironic that an evangelist who preached the ex-gay message was caught with a gay male prostitute. But then I saw what he and his family went through (being exiled, practically kicked out of their home state, he couldn't get a job anywhere, they lived in motels) and it actually made me feel really sorry for him. I think the saddest part was when he was talking about how for the longest time, his feelings inside made him feel unworthy to even pray to God or open the Bible.

 

[Orange_County_Chopper]

What did Colorado Springs do to deserve this?

 

[katautumn]

The man made a mistake four years ago. What did he ever do to deserve such a profound lack of compassion and forgiveness? If his wife and children have forgiven him and he's made his peace with the Lord what business is it of anyone else's?

 

[Orange_County_Chopper]

^because while I agree with forgiving the man, the Bible says that a Pastor or elder has to be "above reproach", this doesn't mean that a man must be perfect or sinless, but what Haggard did totally disqualified himself.

 

[BarrySoetoro]

The man made a mistake four years ago. What did he ever do to deserve such a profound lack of compassion and forgiveness? If his wife and children have forgiven him and he's made his peace with the Lord what business is it of anyone else's?

It becomes Christians' business when he decides to pastor a church. He should be allowed to attend one, but he should never hold office again. It is an affront to God.

 

[katautumn]

^because while I agree with forgiving the man, the Bible says that a Pastor or elder has to be "above reproach", this doesn't mean that a man must be perfect or sinless, but what Haggard did totally disqualified himself.

He was right to step down when he was actively involved in soliciting male prostitutes. At what point, however, does the weight of the sin "wear off" to the point where the person can be considered "above reproach"? I've known pastors who got saved and were called to preach after years of being alcoholics or drug addicts.

 

[Orange_County_Chopper]

^but that was their former life. Not while serving as a Pastor.

 

[Orange_County_Chopper]

Where do we draw the line, do we restore Pastors who've embezzled thousands of dollars from the church back to a Pastoral leadership position... no way. They've disqualified themselves.

 

[lux et lex]

Don't like him? Think he's a bad leader? Then don't go to his church. Simple as that.

 

[katautumn]

Where do we draw the line, do we restore Pastors who've embezzled thousands of dollars from the church back to a Pastoral leadership position... no way. They've disqualified themselves.

Well, that's a fair enough analogy, considering the fact that what Ted Haggard did was commit a crime (soliciting a prostitute and possession of drugs). I think we have to look at things on an individual level. What Haggard did, no doubt, hurt his family and those who looked up to him. No doubt about that. I think the main difference between a sex scandal and embezzling money is that embezzling literally hurts the entire church, potentially for years to come, in terms of financial stability.

I guess the question is where do we draw the line between forgiveness and legalism? I've been in churches that allowed remarried pastors and I've been in churches that prohibited pastors who had a child who may be a little "wild", because he wasn't "in control over his family".

 

[pgp_protector]

^because while I agree with forgiving the man, the Bible says that a Pastor or elder has to be "above reproach", this doesn't mean that a man must be perfect or sinless, but what Haggard did totally disqualified himself.

So can someone who helped in murdering people be a leader?

 

[silence_dogood]

The man made a mistake four years ago. What did he ever do to deserve such a profound lack of compassion and forgiveness? If his wife and children have forgiven him and he's made his peace with the Lord what business is it of anyone else's?

It's our business (a) because he's doing it publically and (b) because we should be concerned with those things that bring reproach not only on the church, but on the name of Christ.

 

[silence_dogood]

I guess the question is where do we draw the line between forgiveness and legalism?

It has nothing to do with forgiveness or legalism. It's about his eligibility to pastor a church.

 

[katautumn]

It has nothing to do with forgiveness or legalism. It's about his eligibility to pastor a church.

It actually has something to do with people not having to attend his church if they feel he is ineligible. We seem to put our noses in other people's churches and cast aspersion on them when it doesn't affect us personally. What Ted Haggard did was made public, because he's a high-profile evangelist. The difference between Haggard and hundreds of other pastors across this country who have committed indiscretions is that he got caught. I assume most pastors wouldn't fit the criteria.

 

[silence_dogood]

It actually has something to do with people not having to attend his church if they feel he is ineligible.

That's true, but the problem is that his church is a part of The Church and that does make it our business.

The difference between Haggard and hundreds of other pastors across this country who have committed indiscretions is that he got caught. I assume most pastors wouldn't fit the criteria.

You're absolutely right. There are thousands of men in pulpits all across America who have no business being there. What's more, they do a very good job of hiding their sin.

But if we're not going to speak out about the sin that we do know about, then how seriously are we really taking those other pastors?

We don't leave our obligation to stand up for the Word of God at the door just because we don't know every situation. We address the ones we do know about. Unfortunately for Haggard, he made the choice to put himself in the spotlight.

 

[nChrist]

It has nothing to do with forgiveness or legalism. It's about his eligibility to pastor a church.

I agree with you completely. This man is not eligible to serve in any church office, much less as a pastor. He needs to seek forgiveness from God and consider it a great honor and privilege to simply sit in the congregation. There is nothing legalistic about applying New Testament teachings on this matter. Yes, he can be forgiven - but, no, he can't serve in a position of authority in a church. At the best, he was a pretender and committed abominations while trying to stand behind the pulpit at the same time.

 

[Orange_County_Chopper]

This Pastor Macarthur explains this excellently:

Should we restore fallen Pastors?

 

[b.hopeful]

Who better to carry out the message of grace than a man that truly needed and experienced grace working in his life? Preach on Haggard.

btw..don't like the guy....loved how his anti-gay rhetoric came back and bit him...but I don't believe that anyone's sin is too big for God's grace.

 

[pdudgeon]

the point here is that yes, you can restore a repentent Christian to fellowship.
what you can't do is to restore them to a position of leadership in the same body.

(and for the poster who asked about restoring those who took a life, i'll assume that you are refering to Paul. A closer study will reveal that Paul did in the end pay the price for taking a life by forfiting his own. God wasn't slack in that instance. but in the meanwhile he brought many to Jesus and thus to eternal life.)