The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that a gay male escort is claiming to have been involved in a three-year relationship with leading Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard:
A Denver resident identifying himself as Mike Jones said he had a sexual relationship with Ted Haggard, founder of the 14,000-member New Life Church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
During an appearance today on the Peter Boyles show on KHOW 630 AM radio, Jones said "After sitting back and contemplating this issue, the biggest reason (for exposing it) is being a gay man all my life, I have experience with my friends, some great sadness of people that were in a relationship through the years" and were not able to enjoy the same rights and privileges as a married man and woman.
"I felt it was my responsibility to my fellow brothers and sisters, that I had to take a stand, and I cannot sit back anymore and hear (what) to me is an anti-gay message."
KUSA Channel 9 spoke to Haggard yesterday outside his Colorado Springs home, and he told a reporter Jones was lying.
"I’ve never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I’m steady with my wife. I’m faithful to my wife," said Haggard.
Jones on Thursday said that the denial is a lie.
"Yes he is (lying)," said Jones. "He had a relationship with me. We had gay sex."
Jones also said during his appearance with Boyles that he was paid money by Haggard, who made frequent trips to Denver for sexual liaisons, that he has recorded voicemails and a letter from Haggard, and that he had also witnessed Haggard use methamphetamine.
Jones offered to take a polygraph examination concerning his claim, and Boyles said that will occur Friday during his morning radio show.
Haggard, you may remember, was the Evangelical pastor who warned his parishoners not to see Jesus Camp, a move that Magnolia Pictures feared had damaged the film's chances of reaching evangelical Christian audiences. I wrote about Magnolia strategy to reach Christian audiences before opening in urban centers here. Ironically, while Jesus Camp opened poorly in these smaller markets, it has been a consistent force at the box office since it opened in the cities. Seven weeks in, the film has grossed a healthy $655,000.
As the Denver Post reported at the time, Haggard saw an advance copy of the film, in which he had made a cameo appearance:
Haggard was upset with his cameo, in which he jokingly says "repent" to the camera and declares that evangelicals determine elections when they vote.
In an e-mail, he called the film yellow journalism, with "a strong agenda like any Michael Moore film with the cinematography of 'The Blair Witch Project."'
"Jesus Camp" shows children in camouflage and prayers about spiritual warfare, militarist imagery that Haggard said most Christian groups stopped using after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"It does represent a small portion of the charismatic movement, but I think it demonizes it," said Haggard, a charismatic Christian who does not usually speak in tongues from the pulpit. "Secularists are hoping that evangelical Christians and radicalized Muslims are essentially the same, which is why they will love this film."
Jesus Camp directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady posted a response to Haggard on the Jesus Camp website:
As for accusing us of portraying our protagonists (people whom we’ve grown close to over the past year) “sinister,” this is a disturbing charge. Perhaps Pastor Haggard is projecting his own point of view on the film’s characters, as we absolutely do not see them as such, and went out of our way too make sure that they were shown in a human, three-dimensional light. The children come across as kind, passionate and intelligent. Pastor Becky Fischer is a very likeable and real person, both on and off the screen.
Pastor Haggard is the only person in Jesus Camp who has a problem with how he was portrayed, and with the film as a whole. All the others in the movie feel it is accurate and fair and are excited about people seeing it. The subjects in the film very much identify themselves as part of the Evangelical family and are hurt and stung by Pastor Haggard's wholesale and somewhat venomous rejection of them and the film. While they do identify themselves as Charismatics and Pentecostals, they feel (and we agree) that they have much more in common with the greater Evangelical movement—their morals, values, and political beliefs—than they have differences. For Pastor Haggard to marginalize and dismiss them by labeling them a “sub-group” seems unfair, mean spirited and unproductive.
The liberal website Americablog is all over the Haggard story, including a statement from Focus on the Family chairman Dr. James Dobson.
It will be curious to see if Magnolia, not known for being shy about taking advantage of controversy where Jesus Camp is concerned, issue a statement of their own.
Shocking claims against Ted regarding homosexual behavior. I guess we'll learn more Friday.
...Bernie
Posted by: Bernie Dehler of FreeGoodNews.com | November 02, 2006 at 01:09 PM
From the moment his smug mug first appeared in Jesus Camp, I had a feeling some scandal involving him would come to light before too long.
Posted by: David Lowery | November 02, 2006 at 08:28 PM