Haggard's Church Opens Arms to All

Church will open arms to all "gays, straights, tall, short," Haggard says [Excerpts]

Ted and Gayle Haggard, banished by the church they started when his relationship with a male prostitute and alleged drug purchases were revealed, today said they will start a new church, St. James, that will be open to all.

"St. James is a church for sinners — for people who have hit rock bottom and people who want to help people who have hit rock bottom," Ted Haggard said. "It is not a gathering for the righteous, except those who are righteous by faith."

St. James Church will be more casual than New Life Church, the Colorado Springs Evangelical megachurch the Haggards founded in their home some 30 years ago.

"Everybody is welcome: Democrats, Republican, Independents, gays, straights, tall, short, addicts and recovering addicts," Haggard said.

Gayle Haggard will also be preaching at this church, they said. The pair also anticipates providing counseling for "people in the worst crisis of their lives.

"I think I am qualified to hold their hand," he said.

[TBC: It is one thing to hold a hand. It is something else to also give the words of life to those who desperately need to hear (John:6:68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
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http://www.denverpost.com/ci_15210974