|
Updated: 11:05 PM Jan 27, 2009
Haggard Will Break Silence On Oprah
Ted Haggard, founder and former pastor of New Life Church, will appear on KKTV Wednesday afternoon sitting down one-on-one with Oprah Winfrey.
Posted: 10:24 PM Jan 27, 2009Reporter: David Nancarrow Email Address: dnancarrow@kktv.com |
|
16 Comments 
Ted Haggard, founder and former pastor of New Life Church, will appear on KKTV Wednesday afternoon sitting down one-on-one with Oprah Winfrey. New accusations are coming to light from a man who says New Life Church paid him a six figure settlement to keep quiet about his relationship with the former pastor.
The ads are on the air showing Oprah Winfrey face to face with Ted Haggard.
"What are you most sorry for?" Winfrey asks in the promo. "Being a hypocrite?"
In the show airing Wednesday, Ted Haggard is on the spot, to explain everything as new allegations begin to surface.
Colorado Springs resident Grant Haas, claims he's wrapped up in Haggard's well publicized past. He recently accused the New Life founder of more inappropriate behavior around the time Haggard's story broke in 2006.
"He really thought he was invincible. 'Cause he used to say to me you know what Grant, you can become a man of God and you can have a little bit of fun on the side," said Haas.
Haggard's alleged encounters with Haas were not the beginning of the former pastor's struggles with his sexuality.
He first tried to confront it with church leaders.
"I told him I was having homosexual temptations and thoughts like that and needed to process through that. What should I do?" he said in his interview with Winfrey.
Haggard said even faith didn't offer him any hope.
"I kept trying to deal with it within spiritual circles and it didn't work out," he said.
The rest has been documented for a world wide audience. The scandal included a sexual relationship with male prostitute Mike Jones, an admitted interest in crystal meth, and a betrayal to those Haggard cares most about.
"He said, Gayle some of this is true," said his wife Gayle in the Oprah interview. "The first words out of my mouth were, 'Who are you?'" she said.
Gayle Haggard reportedly knew early on her husband struggled with his sexual identity, but thought he'd found a resolution.
"I was so shocked, I couldn't believe he would have gotten himself entangled in something like this," she said.
Haggard officially breaks his national television silence of more than two years on Wednesday, and millions may finally get some long awaited answers.
New Life Church has responded to Haas' allegations.
In a statement released late last week the church leaders said they knew Haas was about to go forward to the media with his story.
New Life leadership said they've reached out to Haas to provide him pastoral care, professional counseling, and financial assistance.
The church made it a point to tell members the settlement was not paid out with church tithes.
The Oprah show airs at 3:00 p.m. on KKTV.
Latest Comments
TO: my.02 >>> I’m sorry if my reply seemed to infer ALL priests/pastors are cut from the same cloth. My intention (probably lost to having only 1000 characters available *grin*) was to convey the need for people to be VERY careful and watch CLOSELY those who rant and rave from the pulpit … about ANY issue. When one sees veins popping, flushed faces, tears streaming, etc. … RUN! You’re more than likely not listening to the word of God but those of a VERY flawed man in a feeble attempt to exorcise his OWN demons about the topic. It’s the old: “Me Thinks Thou Doth Protest Too Much” thing. We tend to give away WAY too much power to other men. "Denial on any level rarely, if ever, wins out over intrinsic and basic drives and needs. On the other hand, intrinsic and basic drives and needs almost always tend to trump even the worst guilt. And guilty men in conflict always tend to make very risky, unwise and bad choices."
I have long been interested in the rhetoric preached by most of the Evangelical Right Wing Churches such as New Life and the actions of their leaders since the days of it’s first notably disgraced ones. Before Rev. Haggard went Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggart. A host of other minor demigods have also followed suit. Rev. Haggard is NOT the first to have fallen for his acts. I predict he will NOT be the last. I hold no malice toward any of them. In some odd way, they give clarity to well meaning people who replace God with mere men who chose to exorcise their OWN demons by insane rantings from the pulpit. Regarding the Oprah interview: I was duly unimpressed as I think it lacked the “hard questions”. We might suggest that Ted find a new therapist (preferably one without a “Fundamentalist agenda”) who knows a LOT more about the complexities and realities of sexuality. His diagnosis of being "straight with homosexual fixations" is hardly one accepted by most enlightened practitioners.
Adam, the 9th Commandment is "Thou shall not bear false witness" but it's close enough." If Haggard were any true Christian, he would have put his church first, which he created and cared for. he is smearing new Life's name, and Christianity in general all for 30 pieces of silver and attention. He does need to just give up and start all over, he is no Christian, and he doesnt deserve he title Pastor. He does not love his church, and it's obvious now he doesn't care for his followers.
 |
KKTV and our Partners are proud to make Moms life easier…click here for more information |
 |
Click here for more information from our local health care specialists. |
 |
Do you have a story idea? Want to report breaking news? Call our newsroom at (719) 578-0000 or e-mail News@kktv.com. |
 |
Click Here to have KKTV come to your school! |
 |
Watch full episodes of your favorite CBS shows right here on KKTV.com. |
| Latest Blogs |
|
