Haggard has been meeting with Boyd

The Rev. Brady Boyd of New Life Church has met twice over the past month with the controversial pastor he replaced almost 18 months ago: Ted Haggard.

Boyd initiated the meetings in part to counsel Haggard and his wife, Gayle, on the struggles that have bedeviled Haggard since he was forced to resign as the head of New Life after an affair with a male prostitute. Haggard has since said he was sexually abused as a child and has struggled with his sexuality.

"He is still trying to figure out what happened with his life and what to do next," Boyd said Friday. "Imagine having your whole world taken away."

Besides praying together in their meetings at Haggard's Colorado Springs home, the two talked at their most recent meeting on Monday about Haggard's bitterness toward the 10,000-member church. "Any time someone is removed from a position, even with best intentions, there are hurt feelings," Boyd said. "He is dealing with a lot of hurt."

Some of that hurt is on display in "The Trials of Ted Haggard," an HBO documentary premiering Jan. 29. In the documentary, Haggard lashes out at New Life, saying, "The church chose not to forgive me" and said "go to hell." Haggard on Friday told The Associated Press that said he was grateful for the severance New Life gave him, but angry over being forced to leave Colorado Springs as a severance condition. He also challenged the church's statement that he halted a process meant to restore him, saying he still receives counseling.

On Friday, Boyd e-mailed a letter to the members of New Life to offer them perspective on Haggard's disparaging comments in the documentary and in public.

Boyd, who was named senior pastor of New Life in August 2007, 10 months after Haggard was fired, writes in the letter that the church committed more than $300,000 to Ted and Gayle Haggard and their five children. That included 13 months of salary for Ted and Gayle, who also worked at the church, as well as a pickup truck, counseling, health insurance for the family, moving expenses to Arizona, and additional medical care for son Jonathan, who has special needs.

One month ago, Boyd released Haggard from a severance agreement that he would not talk to the media about the controversy. On Friday, Haggard began promoting the HBO documentary in Los Angeles by answering questions from television critics. He's also scheduled to appear on "Larry King Live" on Jan. 29, and will be filmed on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" next week.

In the documentary, which was filmed in 2007 while Haggard and his family were living variously in Arizona and Texas, Haggard says he continues "to struggle with same-sex attraction," But on Friday, Haggard said he was "not anywhere near" where he was at that time.

As for his future plans, Haggard said he hopes to build his business selling insurance and debt-reduction software and is considering marketing himself through a speakers bureau to share his story - "if the terms were right."

"I have to earn a living," he told the AP.

He also doesn't rule out a return to the pulpit.

Based on his recent meetings with Haggard, Boyd said Haggard is no longer as angry as he appears in the film. He also said there was no ulterior motive behind the meetings other than to counsel Haggard.

"As a pastor, I am to help people through difficult times," Boyd said.

However, neither side is ready for the Haggard family to be New Life parishioners, he said. Boyd acknowledges that some mistakes were made in handling Haggard's firing and severance, but overall the church went out of its way to be "kind and considerate."

"The only motive was to bring restoration," Boyd said.

-

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0367 or mark.barna@gazette.com.

-

Associated Press reporter Eric Gorski contributed to this report.

To read a review of "The Trials of Ted Haggard," go to Barna's blog, The Pulpit, and scroll down to his Dec. 19 post.