Mike Jones, a 49-year-old male escort who lives in Denver accused Rev. Ted Haggard, Evangelical Senior Pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, of engaging in a three-year homosexual relationship with him that he said included methamphetamines use. Jones said he has the proof in recordings of telephone messages Rev. Haggard left for him.
Haggard confessed to his church's board of overseers about some of the accusations although the board has not revealed details of the confession.
Jones provided two voice messages to the local news channel, 9News, claiming they include the voice of Haggard calling him. A voice expert told 9NEWS that the messages left for the male escort matched the voice of Pastor Haggard. Jones claims Art is really Haggard and is referring to methamphetamines in the messages.
August 4, 2006 2:18 pm
"Hi Mike, this is Art. Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply. And I could pick it up really anytime I could get it tomorrow or we could wait till next week sometime and so I also wanted to get your address. I could send you some money for inventory but that’s probably not working, so if you have it then go ahead and get what you can and I may buzz up there later today, but I doubt your schedule would allow that unless you have some in the house. Okay, I’ll check in with you later. Thanks a lot, bye."August 4, 2006 5:10 pm
"Hi Mike this is Art, I am here in Denver and sorry that I missed you. But as I said, if you want to go ahead and get the stuff, then that would be great. And I'll get it sometime next week or the week after or whenever. I will call, though, you early next week to uh, see what's most convenient for you. Okay? Thanks a lot. Bye."
Mike Jones said he met Haggard after he advertised on the internet as a male escort and Haggard replied calling himsel Art. Arthur is Haggard's middle name. Jones said he has more recordings and more will be played on a Denver radio station tomorrow.
Rev. Ted Haggard, a key Evangelical in the religious right also resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and said in a statement that he placed himself on administrative leave "pending investigation, spiritual counsel, and a decision by the church's board of overseers."
Ted Haggard is married and has five children and has vociferously opposed gay marriage.
Time Magazine included Pastor Haggard in their list of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. The Wall Street Journal noted his advisory role with the Bush White House, calling him one "of the nation's most politically influential" clergy, and Harper's Magazine wrote, "No pastor in America holds more sway over the political direction of evangelicalism than does Pastor Ted."
Related
- Evangelical pastor confesses to 'some' accusations
- Listen to the second voice mail Mike Jones claims was left by Pastor Ted Haggard (9News)
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