Summary
Make no mistake, this is a very serious failure and evangelicals need to see what it has to teach them. [Ted Haggard] was no ordinary pastor. He was a leader among evangelicals in the U.S. and in that sense a leader whose influence probably reached much further. Last year the flagship American evangelical journal Christianity Today devoted a large feature article to Haggard. It called him "the NAE's optimistic champion of ecumenical evangelism and free-market faith." NAE stands for the National Association of Evangelicals, a 60-denomination association with 30 million members, of which Haggard was president. Last year, Harper's magazine also ran a 14-page feature on Haggard and his church, which, while it decried him, also acknowledged his influence. Time magazine listed Haggard among the 25 most influential evangelicals in the U.S. and said that in his role "he gets listened to" by the White House. Haggard has been one of a select group of people who could dial into a weekly Monday afternoon conference call to the White House to be updated on key issues for conservatives in America. Haggard said that a call to the White House liaison officer with a concern would get a response from the president in 24 hours.
A Time article last weekend quoted David Kuo, who has worked with the Office of Faith-based Initiatives in the White House, and he said that Haggard has been a mentor to many evangelical pastors who have "fanned out across the country. This interconnectedness of so many congregations, along with Haggard's recently political bent, amplify the effect of the scandal."See the full content of this document
Extract
A Sobering Lesson
But redemption is possible for fallen evangelist
HAROLD JANTZLAST Sunday morning was a somber day at the New Life Church of Colorado Springs, Colorado, founded by Ted Haggard, even though worshippers who came to the 9 and 11 a.m. services sang and cheered during the worsh...See the full content of this document
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