As Dan Savage reported yesterday on Slog, in assisting with Rev. Ted Haggard’s “restoration,” his New Life Church is conducting a sexual witch hunt, soliciting the public’s help in uncloseting other sinners amongst its staff and leaders. Well, score…
New Life Church — still reeling from the fall of its charismatic founder — was stunned when a second church pastor left due to sexual impropriety.
Christopher Beard, 35, who led the young-adult leadership program twentyfourseven, resigned after telling New Life’s Board of Overseers about a one-time sexual encounter he had several years ago, before he was married.
In a statement released Monday evening, New Life said Beard had “displayed poor judgement in several decisions throughout his tenure. This poor judgement included one instance of consensual sexual contact with another unmarried adult several years ago.”
Officials for the 14,000-member church declined to say anything more about the encounter.
Beard’s resignation came a little more than a month after the Rev. Ted Haggard, New Life’s senior pastor for 21 years, was dismissed after allegations he had a three-year sexual tryst with a male escort. The escort also said he saw Haggard use methamphetamine.
Gees… I sure hope Beard didn’t get a blowjob in Georgia. He could do hard time.
What New Life Church really needs is a board of virgins! I could come up with some virgin rabbits, although none of them will be more than 10 days old.
It’s always laughable (but in a sad way) that some of these evagelicals act so smug when they’re as much sinners as anybody on the planet. Too bad people actually put their faith and believe in yahoos like them.
Lib: “as much sinners as anybody else. . . “? How about more than most people. These people are intolerant bigots and hypocrites.
These people haven’t a clue what the Gospel teaches. Christ didn’t surround himself with the santimonious, but rather with open sinners, even tax collectors and prostitutes. Anyone who believes that a “Board of Overseers” is capable of measuring a pastor’s degree of holiness and clearing him then to lead his flock is, simply, too out of touch to offer leadership to anyone. I prefer pastors who understand sin because they, like everyone else, have succumbed a time or two to temptation.
There’s not enough details in the report to pass judgement, either upon the conduct of the youth pastor or the board. It says it was consensual sex with an adult, but it doesn’t specify if it was with a male or female, a member of the church, or a former/current participant in the youth group which he headed.
But generally, I think a church is allowed to set its requirements for its leadership. Its kind of hard to tell young people that they should refrain from extramarital sex and then have the youth pastor engaging in it. But they need to be consistent.
@5 Somebody check to find out if the guy has a daughter over 15.
That enough evidence for me. I am converting from a nice, Jewish Boy to a member of the New Life Church. As a Christian I will vote as I please (after all, voting is secret) and, apparently, I will get laid all I want.
How cool is that?
Wow consenting adults fornicating!!! Who would have Thunk. Just think Maria did it with her buddy Ron(a week before his wedding), and she is a Senator. Should she step down?
Pastor, Senator, Priest, Rabbi, Teacher, Cop, Congressman whatever.
The sins of the few tarnish many.
Not much of a story here. I commend organizations who find bad apples, for actively seeking to clean things up.
Or is it that the church, and all of the overwhelming good it does, should fold up the tent and go home….
I wrote a letter to the brilliant and forward thinking Sen. Val Stevens (R-Dumbass) a while back regarding gays and one of the Valster’s favorite issues (gay-hating).
We need a community panel to make sure nobody trying to get married, work in the public sector, go to church, adopt children, or otherwise live is gay.
Therefore, the panel shall be named “FUCC.” “For Uniform Coital Contact.
Anybody wanting to get married, adopt children, etc., has to prove their heterosexual nature in front of the panel in public. Up on a stage somewhere, such as at a movie theater during matinee hours or at the police station. Then members of the FUCC panel can approve or deny marriage licenses, adoption forms, etc.
This way, no gay folks can adopt, work in the public sector, etc. Western civilization, Chevrolet, and apple pie will be preserved.
“…by their works shall ye know them…”
Gee, a relative article on MSNBC today:
“More than nine out of 10 Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex, according to a new study. The high rates extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions that people were more chaste in the past.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16287113/
And another one:
“Sex does the body good
Regular romps can provide a host of physiological benefits”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16282622/from/RS.1/
Republican christians are the most likely child rapist around.
RES, they consider the child raping part of their “good works.”
In a statement released Monday evening, New Life said Beard had “displayed poor judgement in several decisions throughout his tenure. This poor judgement included one instance of consensual sexual contact with another unmarried adult several years ago.”
“His poor judgment also included his decision to tell us about it,” the statement continued.
You mean blow jobs are illegal in Georgia, Goldie…?? (Burp!)