See the link here that covers the story more in depth.
Whose Haggard targeting for membership:
"everybody is welcome: Democrat, Republican, independent, gays, straight, bi, tall, short, addicts and recovering addicts."
Further, "St. James is a church for sinners — people who have hit rock bottom and people who want to help people who have hit rock bottom"
Now I have no doubt that Ted Haggard is restored in his Faith. And I think him being fully restored as a Christian is an awesome testament to the mercy of Christ.
But should this man pastor a church again? Are there sins too "big" to recover a pastoral position for?
I myself am really undecided. I guess I would say that if Haggard is genuine in what he says in the article, then his passion for the broken is so commendable. Could it not be that God is making good what Satan intended for evil, and thus Haggard now will help reconcile people who are truly desperate for God? People that Haggard would have overlooked before his fall?
But yet again, I myself could not envision myself sitting under Ted Haggard as pastor. I couldn't get past his past. And that would no doubt be my fault.
2 comments:
Assuming:
1. As with any pastor, his / her doctrinal teachings are sound.
2. He / she has addressed his earlier problems and is back in the will of God.
3. He / she has regained the needed trust and/or implemented safeguards. (ie if he /she had embezzled having open accounting records)
The I would have no problems siting under him / her. If a sin is not too big for God then why should it be too big for me. Just look at Paul.
I absolutely agree John. I was just saying that the mental distinction in my flesh of the sins that Ted committed as a pastor may not be so easy to trust in him as I would desire.
I understand he is forgiven, and I ought to love him. It's just I know mentally it wouldn't be so easy.
For instance, I have a friend who is an ex-sexual predator. He is fully restored and has since done well and repented for his misdeeds. I treat him like all my other friends, but I do not know if there is one instance where I have been able to hang out with him without letting that thought slip into my head about who the man once was.
I could just foresee in my flesh that I would have a hard time trusting in his authority and any declarations of judgment when my flesh automatically rebuttals "but how can you say that is bad when you did this?" I am not saying such a mentality is good. Rather it's evil. But I am just saying where I would have a difficulty about it.
And as for Paul, I think I could make a distinction in that Paul never claimed to have had the holy ghost when he was about to his no good ways. Ted Haggard did, so I would have a little harder time with Ted.
Post a Comment