COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The pastor of a Colorado Springs, Colo., megachurch at the center of yet another sex scandal involving former Pastor Ted Haggard told his congregation Jan. 25 that he knew of the lurid allegations 18 months ago but “[T]here’s nothing being held secret here.”
Pastor Brady Boyd of New Life Church acknowledged that the church’s insurance company arranged a settlement with a young man who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Haggard, who was forced to resign in 2006 after a male escort came forward with charges of gay sex and drug use.
Earlier Boyd had said there was an “overwhelming pool of evidence” that supported an “inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship” between Haggard and the young man.
He said he was confident the man was of legal age at the time of the affair.
Boyd told worshipers that none of their weekly offerings had been used to pay the settlement and admitted that church leaders had long known about the allegations.
Boyd said church leaders were forced to keep quiet because of the settlement’s terms and because “I have to use discretion — our staff has to use discretion — and sometimes we have to use confidentiality … especially when it concerns people we’re trying to help heal. There’s nothing being held secret here.”
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