The founding
pastor of a second Colorado church has resigned over gay sex
allegations just weeks after the evangelical Christian
world was shaken by the scandal surrounding
megachurch leader Ted Haggard.
Haggard, an
opponent of same-sex marriage, admitted to unspecified
''sexual immorality'' when he resigned last month as
president of the National Association of Evangelicals
and pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in
Colorado Springs. Paid escort Mike Jones said he'd had sex
with Haggard for three years.
On Sunday, Paul
Barnes, founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel
in the Denver suburb of Englewood, told his evangelical
congregation in a videotaped message that he had had
sexual relations with other men and was stepping down.
Dave Palmer,
associate pastor of Grace Chapel, told The Denver
Post that Barnes confessed to him after the church
received a call last week. The church board of elders
accepted Barnes's resignation on Thursday.
On the videotape,
which the Post was allowed to view, Barnes told
church members, ''I have struggled with homosexuality
since I was a 5-year-old boy.... I can't tell you the
number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God
to take this away.''
Barnes, 54, led
Grace Chapel for 28 years. He and his wife have two adult
children.
Palmer said in a
written statement, ''While we cannot condone what he has
done, we continue to support and love Paul.'' (AP)
