Disgraced US evangelical pastor starts new church

Ted Haggard is back and about to start preaching again.

Haggard, once America's leading evangelical pastor, who was brought down and removed from his own mega-church after admitting to a gay sex scandal, has set up a new ministry and will hold the first service in his new church today.

His wife, Gayle, who has stood by him throughout his troubles, will be the church's co-pastor.

"We realised that I am a sinner and she is a saint, but that way we do have a very broad appeal," he joked in an interview from his home in Colorado Springs, a city that has been described as the Vatican of America's evangelical movement.

"I feel we have moved past the scandal. We have forgiveness. It is a second chance."

For Haggard, the formation of a new church - to be called St James - marks the beginning of a remarkable comeback and the latest stage of a rollercoaster ride through evangelical power.

Haggard arrived in Colorado Springs in 1984, after he said he had received a vision from God that he had to form a church in the heartland of American evangelism.

That church, which began in the basement of his house with 22 people, eventually grew into New Life Church, one of the largest mega-churches in America.

It had a congregation of more than 14,000 and Haggard became so prominent that he paid several visits to the White House of President George W. Bush. He also became president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

But that all ended in 2006, when a gay prostitute said Haggard had paid him for sex. The revelations destroyed Haggard's career almost overnight. He lost his position at New Life and had to leave Colorado. He ended up in Arizona and started a new job selling insurance. He also received controversial religious counselling about his sexuality.

Haggard now says he is heterosexual, but had gay urges because he was molested by a man when he was a child.

Now Haggard says he wants gays and bisexuals to come to his new church, whose first few meetings will be held in the garden of his suburban home.

"St James church is for anyone, and I do mean anyone ... If you are straight, gay or bisexual, I want to walk through the scriptures with you," Haggard said when announcing his church.

Haggard's view of homosexuality - and his own actions - appear bound to annoy almost everybody.

Many gay rights activists are offended by his view that his actions were caused by child abuse and that it is possible to receive counselling for having same-sex sexual feelings.

Many evangelicals are still outraged at his past conduct, and will be equally furious at his openly reaching out to gays, whom they believe are sinning.

Haggard seems to be trying to span the two poles of opinion. When asked what he would tell a gay person who came to St James, he said: "I would tell them to study the scriptures. I would tell them to explore that with God. It is an individual walk for them."

But he denied that he thought homosexuality was forbidden in the Bible, a common belief among many conservative Christians. "I would not say that. I would say that all of us need God's grace," he said.

Haggard talked openly about what he calls "my scandal" but also clearly felt it left him an undeserving sinner. "I feel that I need forgiveness. But I do not feel that I deserve forgiveness," he said.

There is no doubt that Haggard is trying to move on and start to rebuild his life and old career. He said the reaction to his announcement of a new church had been huge and overwhelmingly positive: "It made me feel elated. Forgiven. Loved."

Haggard said the scandal had given him a strong insight into suffering and that made him a better counsellor for others who were under stress.

It had also shown him the power and importance of unconditional love, especially for those who were in trouble or who had sinned.

The same cannot be said for all the Colorado Springs evangelical community. Though many, including prominent columnists in the local newspaper, have welcomed Haggard and his new church, some have not.

- OBSERVER