Ted Arthur Haggard is an American evangelical pastor. Haggard is the founder and former pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and is a founder of the Association of Life-Giving Churches. He served as president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) from 2003 until November 2006.
Biography
Ted Arthur Haggard was born in Indiana. His father, J. M. Haggard, a practicing veterinarian in Yorktown, Indiana, founded an international charismatic ministry, which was featured in a PBS Middletown documentary series. Haggard has stated that he was molested when he was seven years old.
In 1972, at age 16, Haggard became a born-again Christian after hearing a sermon from evangelist Bill Bright in Dallas, Texas, and becoming acquainted with the Christian apologetics of C. S. Lewis. As a co-editor of his high-school newspaper in 1974, Haggard published frank articles that described services that were available to prevent and deal with increasingly prevalent pregnancies and STDs. These articles scandalized his small town and embroiled him in a free-press lawsuit.
Haggard describes feeling the call of God on his life after his first year in college while he was in the kitchen at home. He had been a telecommunications major with a minor in journalism, but after this experience he believed he had been called to be a pastor. Haggard subsequently attended Oral Roberts University, a Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, graduating in 1978. He became a minister in the Southern Baptist Convention for a few months.
In 2010, Haggard and his wife, Gayle, founded Saint James Church in Colorado Springs; as of 2022, Haggard continues to serve as founding pastor at Saint James Church.
Age
Haggard was born on June 27, 1956.
Family
Haggard has been married to Gayle Alcorn since 1978. The couple have five children: Christy (1981), Marcus (1983, founder and former pastor of Boulder Street Church, Colorado Springs), Jonathan (1987), Alex (1990), and Elliott (1993).
Ministry
According to Haggard, in November 1984, when he was an associate pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his confidant and mentor Danny Ost, a missionary to Mexico City, had a vision of Haggard founding his church in Colorado Springs. Accordingly, Haggard moved to Colorado shortly afterwards, and founded New Life Church. Initially, the 22 people who met in the basement of Haggard’s house formed his church, which then grew to rented spaces in strip malls.
After 22 years, New Life Church operated from a campus in northern Colorado Springs and had a congregation of 14,000. In 1993, during what Haggard describes as his “first prayer journey,” he traveled with a group to Israel. They stood on the Mount of Olives, where Haggard claims that he felt the Holy Spirit speak to him. “From that time until now,” Haggard writes in The Life-Giving Church, “apostolic power has blessed me. My only problems are with me – not with the enemy, not with circumstances, not with people.”
Under Haggard’s leadership, New Life Church formed the Association of Life-Giving Churches. It has been listed as a denomination by the U.S. National Association of Evangelicals. As of 2006, Harper’s Magazine reported that it comprised some 300 congregations.
Sex and drug Scandal
Haggard made national headlines in November 2006 when male prostitute and masseur Mike Jones alleged that Haggard, who had advocated against the legalization of same-sex marriage, had paid him for sex for three years and had also purchased and used crystal methamphetamine. Haggard resigned his post at New Life Church and his other leadership roles shortly after the allegations became public. Later, Haggard admitted to drug use, some sexual activity with Jones, and an inappropriate relationship with a young man who attended New Life Church.
On November 4, 2006, the Overseer Board of New Life Church announced that senior pastor Haggard had been fired due to his alleged sexually immoral conduct. Haggard was then placed under counseling by a team including Jack Hayford and Tommy Barnett, with James Dobson stepping aside due to time constraints. After the scandal was publicized, Haggard entered three weeks of intensive counseling, overseen by four ministers, one of whom stated that Haggard was completely heterosexual.
On July 26, 2022 allegations against Haggard were made by Kirk “Seth” Sethman, who recorded statements of two young adult men who said Haggard touched them inappropriately on several occasions at the church. Tim Ralph, one of the ministers, stated that Haggard is completely heterosexual.
In April 2007, the Haggard family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to start a restoration process. They attended Phoenix First Assembly of God Church, whose pastor, Tommy Barnett, was on Haggard’s counseling team.
Books
- Primary Purpose (1995)
- Loving Your City into the Kingdom (1997)
- Confident Parents, Exceptional Teens (1999)
- The Life-Giving Church (2001)
- Dog Training, Fly Fishing, and Sharing Christ in the 21st Century (2002)
- Simple Prayers for a Powerful Life (2002)
- Letters From Home (2003)
- Taking It to the Streets (2005)
- Foolish No More! (2005)
- The Jerusalem Diet (2005)
- Your Primary Purpose (2006)
- Pursuit of the Good Life (2006)
- From This Day Forward: Making Your Vows Last a Lifetime (2006)
Net Worth
Ted Haggard is estimated to have a net worth of $300, 000 USD
Social Media
You can follow Ted Haggard on the following Social Media platforms:
Instagram: @pastor_ted_haggard
Twitter: @TedHaggard
Facebook: @Pastor Ted Haggard