Ted Haggard to make a "Surprising" and "Groundbreaking" announcement next week...

Ted Haggard to make a “Surprising” and “Groundbreaking” announcement next week…

Posted on May 28, 2010
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Ted Haggard's publicist said today that the ousted founder of New Life Church will announce plans for his future at a press conference at his Colorado Springs home Wednesday morning.

Haggard's spokesman said he would make a "surprising" and "groundbreaking" announcement with his family.

Ted Haggard and his wife Gayle on April 29 incorporated a new church, St. James, sited at their home at 1865 Old Ranch Road.

At the time, Ted Haggard said it was done for accounting purposes as the couple managed dual speaking careers. However, Haggard did tell the Colorado Springs Gazette that he likely would return to ministry one day and wouldn't rule out that St. James would one day be a real church.

More here...

On a personal note... I really wish Ted didn't have a publicist or any kind of groundbreaking or surprising announcements. A ground breaking announcement could be that is starting an 'official' new church. A surprising announcement could be that it would be an affirming church. I have no idea what the announcement will be; but my cynical side tells me that it will probably be neither groundbreaking nor surprising.

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CS on Mon, May 31, 2010

John:

“Which sins disqualify someone from leadership forever?”

Look at 2 Timothy 3, and please answer this question starting with a yes or no: Do Haggard or Bentley meet the qualifications for pastor?

—
CS
Tim Martin on Mon, May 31, 2010

Didn’t Jesus allow prostitutes to minister to Him? How about the Samaritan women at the well….many in her hometown became believers once her sinful nature was exposed. Didn’t Mary Magdalene interupt Jesus during His resurrection to the point were Jesus stopped and ministered to her! Why? Because of her devotion to Him! Look at David, the man after God’s own heart, and through Bathsheba, we see the lineage to Jesus. I refuse to let the past dictate my future and will help others walk in this truth. The scriptures are full of men and women who failed terribly, not as if one sin is worse than any other, but there is redemptive factor I find in our God…he came to restore all that was lost…If Jesus came to destroy the works of the evil one, then He came to destroy the sin in all of us….I’m thankful that the sin in Todd and Ted were exposed so that satan’s grip on them could be loosed…may they now find favor and grace to operate at a higher level and greater purpose.
John Burton on Mon, May 31, 2010

Can Todd and Ted have their reputations restored? Of course. If not, the gospel isn’t very powerful at all.

People make it sound like their are unrecoverable sins. The only one I know of is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

It just sounds like people are endorsing an impotent God who can’t restore people into leadership, or at least an angry God who won’t.
Christopher Fontenot on Mon, May 31, 2010

John,

Their very public sin has disqualified them according to Scripture. God will not violate His own Word so how can we even think to do the same. If they are saved then they are preserved but they relinquish their leadership qualifications. PERIOD!

The reason is clear….a non-believer will hear of such-and-such church and say “Yeah, I’ve heard of that church. So-and-so is the pastor there and let me tell you about what he did…” This brings reproach on The Church and paints every sermon he preaches with hypocrisy.
John Burton on Mon, May 31, 2010

Or, someone will see them and be blown away that someone could fall into a sin as vile as the one that held the in bondage, and see grace and love and hope… and be encouraged that even the most vile sinners can be healed, delivered and restored.
fishon on Mon, May 31, 2010

John Burton on Mon, May 31, 2010
Which sins disqualify someone from leadership forever?
————-Oh, I’d say that the church treasurer stealing disqualifies him/her from being the church treasurer ever again.

John, you going let the Youth Leader who seduced a teen girl be a Youth Leader ever again?

Yep, for sure we will let the Church counselor who had sex with the deacon become a counselor again. NOT!
John Burton on Mon, May 31, 2010

God can certainly do anything…
But, I’ll just say this… the main thing I’m concerned about is the striking lack of compassion or heart for fallen ministers.

It’s like people want them to have a bad life. It feels like they enjoy heaping restrictions upon them. It has a very vindictive feel to it.

I understand wisdom… but, it’s the lack of tears and kindness toward hurting pastors and leaders who got rocked by the enemy that breaks my heart.
fishon on Mon, May 31, 2010

John Burton on Mon, May 31, 2010
God can certainly do anything�
But, I�ll just say this� the main thing I�m concerned about is the striking lack of compassion or heart for fallen ministers.

It�s like people want them to have a bad life. It feels like they enjoy heaping restrictions upon them. It has a very vindictive feel to it.

I understand wisdom� but, it�s the lack of tears and kindness toward hurting pastors and leaders who got rocked by the enemy that breaks my heart.
—————You keep saying these things. But I think your concern is for only a very few who may meet and be as you say. The vast majority of Pastors are not vindictive. Restrictions, yes. Wisdom calls for restrictions.

Lack of tears and kindness. Again, you paint a broad brush stroke, when those you discribe are few. Loud, but few.

Again, because it is important I ask again.
Would you allow a Youth Leader who seduced a teen girl be a Youth Leader ever again?

Are you, if in chargem going to let the church treasurer who stole from the church treasury become the treasurer again?

And what about the Church counselor who had sex with the deacon becoming a counselor again?

Your answers make all the difference in a very practical way.

And while I am at it——-for you to stay consistent, you would not be against a pedophile priest, after a sufficent amount of time, going into the priesthood again??

I do look forward to your answers
John Burton on Mon, May 31, 2010

First, I do believe that God can restore anybody. Would I want certain people back in certain roles? Certainly not immediately.

But, there’s a lot of flex and big ideas out there that can help people who have failed move back into productive ministry. Maybe the person working with money has some creative new safeguards and accountability in place… or, maybe they move to another similar yet less risky or tempting role.

Our job is to work feverishly to help those wounded people find life and restoration.
fishon on Tue, June 01, 2010

John Burton on Mon, May 31, 2010
First, I do believe that God can restore anybody. Would I want certain people back in certain roles? Certainly not immediately.

But, there�s a lot of flex and big ideas out there that can help people who have failed move back into productive ministry. Maybe the person working with money has some creative new safeguards and accountability in place� or, maybe they move to another similar yet less risky or tempting role.

Our job is to work feverishly to help those wounded people find life and restoration.

—————-You must be one of those “Emergent” guys who major in NOT answering direct questions. However, I understand why. You are afraid to take a stand on anything.

I asked you straight forward questions, and you ducked.

Enough for me. I am out of here
John Burton on Tue, June 01, 2010

Excuse me? You just showed your colors. You accused me of being emergent. Do you even know me? That was an outright baseless accusation that only the most immature would utilize to win a discussion.

Are you a Christian? You seem to be quite merciless.

I answered your questions as directly as possible.

Would I immediately return someone like those you mentioned into a risky position? No.

Could it ever happen? Yes.

Are their safeguards and ways to ensure safety? Yes.

Do you not understand the meaning of the word restoration? Doesn’t appear so.
Peter Hamm on Tue, June 01, 2010

I tried to stay away from this, but CS asked (thanks, CS, you are often better at being short and blunt on stuff like this and yet with grace) “Look at 2 Timothy 3, and please answer this question starting with a yes or no: Do Haggard or Bentley meet the qualifications for pastor?”

You have NEVER answered that question except to deflect and answer questions that weren’t asked. Possibly because it can NOT be answered except with a resounding “NO”!
John Burton on Tue, June 01, 2010

Well, I disagree that they could be restored to pastoral ministry… Ted at least.

Todd’s not a pastor.

Question- doesn’t anybody hurt for Todd or Ted? I haven’t sensed, even one time, that people are caring for them, loving them, praying for them, etc.

I may have missed it, but I get the sense that people are angry with them and want them out of the ministry… I just don’t feel the heart of Jesus at all in this thread.
Peter Hamm on Tue, June 01, 2010

John,

I hurt for both of them, but, I admit that I hurt more for the people that they have hurt and will, I think time will tell, continue to hurt. And it’s not my job to “care for” them, as they are not in my circle of influence at all.

So Ted passes the 1 Timothy 3 test, huh? Or do you just not believe that those restrictions apply?

You seem to think that my disgust with the idea that they might be restored to a ministry position means I think that they cannot be restored to the fellowship of believers.

And I am indeed angry with them, especially Ted, who was speaking for all evangelicals in a sense as he was president of the NAE, and I indeed would like to see both of them out of the ministry.
fishon on Tue, June 01, 2010

John Burton on Tue, June 01, 2010
Excuse me? You just showed your colors. You accused me of being emergent. Do you even know me? That was an outright baseless accusation that only the most immature would utilize to win a discussion.
——————-True colors? Of course I don’t know you. You are just as evasive as most Emergents, so I have suspicions. Are you an Emergent?

And as far as bassless accusations———you have made many about men of God who disagree with what Haggard is doing. You throw out statements like::: Question- doesn�t anybody hurt for Todd or Ted? I haven�t sensed, even one time, that people are caring for them, loving them, praying for them, etc.”————Your true colors shin through with a statement like that.

You said:Are you a Christian? You seem to be quite merciless.
————Now that is an interesting question and statement for someone who has great issues with pastors questioning things going on with Haggard.—————-I make some statements and you question my Christianity——-Um, You get all hot about people questioning Haggard’s motives but you question mine. Double standard, my friend.

YOU:Do you not understand the meaning of the word restoration? Doesn�t appear so.
————-Let me get this. You climb all over guys who don’t believe Haggard is restored and insinuate judgmentalism, but you can make an accusation that someone you don’t know doesn’t understand a biblical principle?.

I will answer your question. I understand it quite well. As a pastor I have helped restore drug dealers, a pedophile, thieves, prostitutes, etc. I understand it well. The Church I pastor is full of us who have been restored.