Truth Wins Out, a
group that calls out antigay and
"ex-gay" propaganda, is pushing for an investigation
into Colorado's New Life Church after it was revealed
the church paid to keep a male volunteer from publicly
admitting an affair with its former minister, Ted
Haggard.
Haggard left his
job as pastor of the Colorado Springs-based New Life
Church in 2006 after it was revealed he had had an affair
and done drugs with a male prostitute, Mike Jones.
More recently, Haggard admitted to having another
gay affair while serving as pastor, this time
with a church volunteer. According to the AP, New Life's
current senior pastor, Brady Boyd, said the church
paid the man for counseling and college tuition, with
one condition being that none of the parties discuss
the relationship publicly. Truth Wins Out says the church is
guilty of providing the man with "hush money."
"Authorities
should investigate to ensure that this volunteer was not
manipulated or coerced into silence," said Wayne Besen,
Truth Wins Out's executive director, in a press
release. "The leadership of New Life has little
credibility and should not simply be taken at their
word. At a minimum, Boyd should resign for using his
position of power to pressure a vulnerable member of
his congregation into silence." (Neal Broverman,
Advocate.com)
