THE PULPIT: People repent, change -- so give Haggard a chance
The Bible is filled with stories of spiritual transformation, few of them more famous than the story of Paul, who went from someone who murdered Christians to arguably the greatest teacher of the faith.
While the tale of Paul is extraordinary, there is no shortage of stories about people who have changed their lifestyle, sometimes dramatically, through Christian teachings or because they’ve suffered such hardships as a serious illness or financial downfall.
Yes, people can — and do — change.
So why so much cynicism about Haggard starting a prayer meeting in his home, the first of which took place Thursday?
Detractors say Haggard — who resigned as pastor at New Life Church three years ago in the wake of a sex scandal — is not repentant, failed to complete a church-created spiritual restoration program and is disingenuous about wanting to help others. These folks want Haggard to disappear from Christian ministry and public life.
But some ministers and people who have worked with Haggard give him the benefit of the doubt. They point out that Haggard lost his church, livelihood and reputation in the blink of an eye. He has repented for months in the public square. His marriage to wife Gayle has endured, and he has been free of scandal for three years.
“I sense a very different Ted than three years ago,” said Bob Wentz, who was on the board of directors of the National Association of Evangelicals when Haggard was president.
“God has put him on the anvil and he has taken some mighty blows and knocked away some big issues.”
“He is much more compassionate,” said Randy Welsch, a former lead elder at New Life who helped organize Haggard’s Thursday’s service. “He listens to input in a way I never saw of him before.”
“He has repented, he is already forgiven as far as I am concerned,” said Laura Calhoun, pastor of Restored Life Church in Colorado Springs. “He is my brother.”
Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but should Haggard lead a church?
Well, why not? Many nondenominational evangelical pastors like Haggard have no academic training as a minister. They become a pastor by proclaiming it. They start a church or join one and work their way up.
And for every Bible passage (First Timothy 3:2) saying a minister of God must be beyond reproach, there is a story like Paul’s in which a repentant sinner is used by God for good.
Jeff Lavender, who booked Haggard to lead a men’s conference at Discovery Church in Carlsbad, Calif., last weekend, said Haggard and his wife offer an amazing message of love, forgiveness, grace and redemption.
“I believe they will have a greater impact than they had at New Life,” Lavender told me. “There is something powerful here.”
To read more of my interviews with Haggard supporters, go to my blog, “The Pulpit,” at www.thepulpit.freedomblogging.com.
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