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TechnoratiCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) – New Life Church will recover from new allegations in the 2-year-old sex scandal that brought down founder Ted Haggard, its pastor said Sunday.
Brady Boyd encouraged his Colorado Springs congregation and reminded them of their "holy tenacity," two days after revelations that a male church volunteer reported having a sexual relationship with Haggard.
It's the second such claim against Haggard. In late 2006, a male prostitute in Denver said he had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with the former New Life pastor.
"I'm sorry that this wound has been reopened for many of you," Boyd told the congregation Sunday. "One day we may have a little scar tissue, but the wounds will not define us."
Haggard had confessed to undisclosed "sexual immorality" after the earlier allegations, left New Life and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals. He has declined to comment on the new claim.
On Friday, Boyd said church officials had learned of the second set of claims against Haggard in late 2006, shortly after the male prostitute made his allegations.
Boyd said an "overwhelming pool of evidence" pointed to an "inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship" between Haggard and the male volunteer for an extended period of time.
Boyd said the man was in his early 20s at the time and that he was certain the man was of legal age when the relationship began.
Boyd said that under a legal settlement the church reached with the man in 2007, neither side was to discuss the matter publicly. He said he went public only after learning the man had talked to a local television station.
KRDO-TV reported that the man gave the station an audio recording of his conversations with Haggard. In them, Haggard calls the relationship "inappropriate" and asks for forgiveness, the station said.
Boyd said the settlement paid the man for counseling and college. He said the money came from insurance, not member's contributions.
Church officials said Boyd would not comment Sunday beyond his remarks to the congregation.
New Life members and leaders said the latest public disclosures were no surprise.
In early 2007, the church disclosed that an investigation uncovered evidence that Haggard engaged in "sordid conversation" and "improper relationships" — but didn't go into detail.
"I don't think the people in the church are surprised," said Wanda Moore, who works in pastoral care for women at New Life. "They're disappointed and they're hurt."
Jessica Sheasby, an associate child pastor for New Life, said church members she has spoken to have been hopeful since the new disclosures.
"I've actually heard a lot of hope, because they know that Pastor Brady is one that protects us and takes care of us," she said.
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