Gayle Haggard to Discuss on Oprah 'Why I Stayed'
Gayle Haggard, wife of former evangelical leader Ted Haggard, will appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" next week to promote her new book on why she decided to stay in her marriage.
Her book, Why I stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour, is being released on the same day – Jan. 26 – as her appearance on the Oprah show, according to Colorado Springs, Colo.-based The Gazette.
In the book, Haggard recalls how she felt after it was discovered that her husband, the father of her five children and the pastor of one of the largest churches in the nation, was having an affair with a Denver male escort.
She wrote that after she found out about the alleged gay sex and drug scandal, she knew she would try to forgive her husband – though it may take time – because she believes Christians should show love and forgiveness, according to the Denver Post. But forgiveness did not come easy and she made Ted feel guilty for his transgressions early on.
The former pastor's wife also shares that during their nearly 30 years of marriage prior to the outbreak of the scandal, she felt there was a part of her husband that was blocked off from her. When she found out about his same-sex attraction, she said in the book that a part of her was happy to finally be allowed access into this part of Ted's world.
Haggard's book, which is co-authored by Angela Hunt, also discusses their experiences with the Christian restoration team, their exile from Colorado Springs, and Ted's abnormal actions in the months prior to November 2006.
She said that had she not known that her husband had repented of his sins then she might have chosen another path.
"I hope our story convinces people to believe in one true principle: The best thing you can do for your children is to love and cherish your spouse," she wrote, according to the Post.
In recent months, the Haggards have been holding weekly prayer meetings on their property. Though Ted Haggard has said he is not trying to start a new church, some wonder if this is true.
Since his reemergence in the public, the former pastor has appeared on HBO through the documentary "The Trials of Ted Haggard," CNN's "Larry King," "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and ABC's World News Sunday, among others.
Ted Haggard will accompany his wife on the Oprah show next week.
