The TimesNovember 04, 2006


Drug and gay sex claims topple pastor with 30 million followers
From James Bone in New York


Haggard preaches in front of a video image of himself


LURID allegations of sex trysts and drug use with a gay prostitute have
forced one of America's leading Christian conservatives to resign as head of
a 30 million-strong evangelical movement.

The Rev Ted Haggard, 50, a married father of five, stepped down as president
of the National Association of Evangelicals after a self-described male
escort went on the radio to accuse him of paying for gay sex.

With his chiselled features and wide smile, Mr Haggard was a poster boy for
the evangelical movement and social conservative causes.

The blue jeans-wearing "Pastor Ted", who keeps an electronic Bible in his
Palm Pilot, is one of a new breed of evangelical Christians with close White
House ties who have played a key political role in electing the Republican
Party to power.
A national leader of the campaign to outlaw same-sex marriage, Mr Haggard
reportedly speaks to President Bush or his advisers every week.

He is the latest in a long tradition of Christian leaders - such as Jim
Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart - who have been exposed for sexual indiscretions
in this land of preachers.

Mike Jones, 49, a former male escort who now works as a personal trainer,
went public on a Colorado radio show with claims that Mr Haggard had
regularly paid him $200 a time for sex sessions over the past three years.

Mr Jones, once a competitive bodybuilder, said that he met Mr Haggard when
he responded to an advertisement he had listed on a gay escort website
called rentboy.com.

He said that Mr Haggard would send him cash in envelopes marked with the
name "Art" and also asked him to get "crystal meth", an addictive
methamphetamine popular with gay men for its aphrodisiac qualities.

Mr Jones said that he only learnt who "Art" really was when he saw Mr
Haggard interviewed on a documentary about the Anti-Christ when the film of
The Da Vinci Code film was released this year.

He said that he decided to speak out because Mr Haggard was leading the
campaign for a state constitutional amendment in Tuesday's vote that would
bar gay marriage in Colorado. "I felt it was my responsibility to my fellow
brothers and sisters, that I had to take a stand, and I cannot sit back
anymore and hear [what] to me is an anti-gay message." he said.

Mr Haggard initially denied the allegations. He told local TV: "I've never
had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife. I'm
faithful to my wife." But Ross Parsley, the interim pastor at his church in
Colorado Springs, said that Mr Haggard had admitted to some but not all the
claims. "There has been some admission of indiscretion . . . there is an
admission of some guilt," Mr Parsley said.

After Mr Jones released taped telephone messages yesterday, Mr Haggard
admitted that he had gone to Mr Jones for "a massage" and bought crystal
meth - an illicit stimulant - from him, but insisted the two did not have
sex. "I did call him. I called him to buy some meth, but I threw it away. I
was buying it for me, but I never used it," he told local TV.

Mr Haggard was appointed president of the evangelicals association in March
2003.

The pastor has participated in conservative Christian leaders' conference
calls with White House staffers and lobbied members of Congress last year on
appointees to the US Supreme Court after Sandra Day O'Connor announced her
retirement.

PULPIT SHAME

Martin Gorman
In 1986 was accused by rival evangelist Jimmy Lee Swaggart of "immoral
dalliances". He unsucessfully sued Swaggart for spreading false rumours

Jim Bakker
In 1987 was exposed by Jimmy Lee Swaggart for committing adultery with
Jessica Hahn, a minister and secretary. Sacked from his multi-million dollar
job presenting Praise the Lord.

Jimmy Lee Swaggart
In 1988 officials from his church were given photographs showing him taking
a prostitute to a Louisiana motel. She told a New Orleans TV show that they
had not had sex, although he liked to watch her undress.

Oral Roberts
Operator of a TV ministry in Tulsa, who broadcast that God would "call Oral
Roberts home" unless believers donated $4.5 million. He survived, but was
heavily criticised for his approach to fundraising.

Jerry Falwell
Subject of a merciless parody in an advertisement in Hustler magazine that
implied that he had lost his virginity to his mother in an outhouse while
they were "drunk off our God-fearing asses on Campari". Falwell sued,
unsuccessfully.

The TimesNovember 04, 2006


Drug and gay sex claims topple pastor with 30 million followers
From James Bone in New York


Haggard preaches in front of a video image of himself


LURID allegations of sex trysts and drug use with a gay prostitute
have forced one of America's leading Christian conservatives to
resign as head of a 30 million-strong evangelical movement.

The Rev Ted Haggard, 50, a married father of five, stepped down as
president of the National Association of Evangelicals after a
self-described male escort went on the radio to accuse him of paying
for gay sex.
With his chiselled features and wide smile, Mr Haggard was a poster
boy for the evangelical movement and social conservative causes.

The blue jeans-wearing "Pastor Ted", who keeps an electronic Bible in
his Palm Pilot, is one of a new breed of evangelical Christians with
close White House ties who have played a key political role in
electing the Republican Party to power.
A national leader of the campaign to outlaw same-sex marriage, Mr
Haggard reportedly speaks to President Bush or his advisers every
week.
He is the latest in a long tradition of Christian leaders - such as
Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart - who have been exposed for sexual
indiscretions in this land of preachers.

Mike Jones, 49, a former male escort who now works as a personal
trainer, went public on a Colorado radio show with claims that Mr
Haggard had regularly paid him $200 a time for sex sessions over the
past three years.
Mr Jones, once a competitive bodybuilder, said that he met Mr Haggard
when he responded to an advertisement he had listed on a gay escort
website called rentboy.com.

He said that Mr Haggard would send him cash in envelopes marked with
the name "Art" and also asked him to get "crystal meth", an addictive
methamphetamine popular with gay men for its aphrodisiac qualities.

Mr Jones said that he only learnt who "Art" really was when he saw Mr
Haggard interviewed on a documentary about the Anti-Christ when the
film of The Da Vinci Code film was released this year.

He said that he decided to speak out because Mr Haggard was leading
the campaign for a state constitutional amendment in Tuesday's vote
that would bar gay marriage in Colorado. "I felt it was my
responsibility to my fellow brothers and sisters, that I had to take
a stand, and I cannot sit back anymore and hear [what] to me is an
anti-gay message." he said.
Mr Haggard initially denied the allegations. He told local TV: "I've
never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my
wife. I'm faithful to my wife." But Ross Parsley, the interim pastor
at his church in Colorado Springs, said that Mr Haggard had admitted
to some but not all the claims. "There has been some admission of
indiscretion . . . there is an admission of some guilt," Mr Parsley
said.
After Mr Jones released taped telephone messages yesterday, Mr Haggard
admitted that he had gone to Mr Jones for "a massage" and bought
crystal meth - an illicit stimulant - from him, but insisted the two
did not have sex. "I did call him. I called him to buy some meth, but
I threw it away. I was buying it for me, but I never used it," he
told local TV.
Mr Haggard was appointed president of the evangelicals association in
March 2003.

The pastor has participated in conservative Christian leaders'
conference calls with White House staffers and lobbied members of
Congress last year on appointees to the US Supreme Court after Sandra
Day O'Connor announced her retirement.

PULPIT SHAME

Martin Gorman
In 1986 was accused by rival evangelist Jimmy Lee Swaggart of "immoral
dalliances". He unsucessfully sued Swaggart for spreading false
rumours
Jim Bakker
In 1987 was exposed by Jimmy Lee Swaggart for committing adultery with
Jessica Hahn, a minister and secretary. Sacked from his multi-million
dollar job presenting Praise the Lord.

Jimmy Lee Swaggart
In 1988 officials from his church were given photographs showing him
taking a prostitute to a Louisiana motel. She told a New Orleans TV
show that they had not had sex, although he liked to watch her
undress.
Oral Roberts
Operator of a TV ministry in Tulsa, who broadcast that God would
"call Oral Roberts home" unless believers donated $4.5 million. He
survived, but was heavily criticised for his approach to fundraising.

Jerry Falwell
Subject of a merciless parody in an advertisement in Hustler magazine
that implied that he had lost his virginity to his mother in an
outhouse while they were "drunk off our God-fearing asses on
Campari". Falwell sued, unsuccessfully.