Locally it is being called "Second Church of the Hypocrite."

Ted Haggard is free to follow God, even in the shadow of his former failed life. One can certainly debate whether or not he is biblically qualified to be a pastor again, but his motives are God's to judge, not ours. It's interesting that he has chosen the name St. James Church, tying his rehabilitation to James, a book full of both gentle and harsh wisdom. Consider 1:26-27:

26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep onelsef from being polluted by the world.

If Ted finds forgiveness and redemption from his sin and hypocrisy by embracing God's call to "pure and faultless" religion in his new church, then give him his due and let God work. In all honesty, many of us evanglicals (self included) will easily condemn Ted's sins of commission by the Word, yet just as easily fail to judge our own sins of omission by the same Word.

Even if St. James becomes just another ego-centered exercise and excuse for Ted to get back into evangelical kingdom building, we should still be able to trust God to deal with it and him. James has a lot to say about sin, hypocrisy, and deceitful leaders, and how God will deal with them. But he also has a lot to say about being a doer of the Word, showing our faith by our works, and not judging a brother. I'm hoping for a story that honors and glorifies God on all sides.

Its okay to start over with God but why in a leadership role? This is why I have so many issues with the church. This ted is not qualified to be a leader matter of fact he is not qualified to be a husband. The is quite pathetic in my opinion. He can work in the church as a liason or even in a guidance position (limited). But seriouly, he is going to be dreaming and lusting after all of the hot young males and I promise you he will be caught again.

Leadership should not be assumed by a person such as this. It really is the reason, in many cases, why the people are skeptical of churches

There will always be millions of people (Christians) around who can be easily duped by charismatic personalities. Haggard had many years of misleading people--this is his skill, and based on countless other fallen leaders before him who did the proscribed "repentance" thing, he knows that he can rise back up under the banner of "Christian forgiveness" (hey people, don't ever be the one to cast the first stone) and build a ministry maybe even larger than his previous one. If he had any self respect, he would get an ordinary job, like at Wallmart or McDonalds and join a small local church and keep his mouth shut for several years. The male prostitute in Denver who ratted on him has more honesty and integrity than Haggard.

The last thing I think the Haggards need to do is start their own church. Are they afraid of accountability and that is why they have to be top dogs in the church they are in?

My guess is there doing it for the tax break.

Well sure, what else is the guy doing to do?

It isn't like he has any useful job skills that would keep him in the financial lifestyle to which he has become accustomed.

The real question is why anyone would spend their time and money on this guy's new church.

I find it interesting how CT has described Haggard's fall. If this were anyone outside of the evangelical camp it would assuredly be noted that the "sexual immorality" in question was homosexual in nature and with a prostitute. But that is just left out here. Interesting spin.

Did Ted ever publicly repent of being homosexual? Did he ever publicly repent of being a meth user? Did he openly repent for lying to his wife, children, church members and volunteers, and his friends? It's a free country, so Ted is free to start over. And in a free country Elmer Gantry knows there are thousands of uncritical and gullible people. Let the buyer beware, assuming the buyers have enough common sense to watch out for the tell tale signs that Ted's behavior has begun to repeat itself.

King David did very wrong things Sex with his neighboors wife
then worked plans to lie out of it to her husband then sent him to the front of the Battle so that he would be killed . Then tried to hide his sin untill @ Samuel 12 the man of God told David that he was the man that sinned. Yet at the end of David's life God called
David Blessed because he prayed to God for giveness. Are we greater than God in our willingness to forgive a sinner ?

some of you people who are fussing the loudest have hidden sin also in your lives. maybe not homosexual,but sin none the less. let ted start his church. if it is false, it will fail. God is still in control of His church!

The man disqualified himself from ever being a senior pastor again. He used his spiritual authority to corrupt at least one young man we know of and immensely damage the flock he was leading.

I hope and pray the best for him in his life and growing Christian maturation. But he is disqualified from ever being a senior pastor again. To go down the road from the church that he corrupted and try to start a new one shows his true colors. After having shirked the God led accountability and restoration process and then gone on television and complained to the world about why Christians are bad he has further disqualified himself.

Our churches are too important and need pure leaders. He is disqualified.

All of you who judge Ted Haggard as though the jury is still out on his sin make me sick. God has already judged him. His sin was atoned for. God has forgiven him.

What he did was horrible. His repentance and broken heart seem real. He's not continuing in it any longer (so it seems). If that's the case, then let God finish his work in and through Ted. I celebrate that. I think Jesus and the angels do as well.

Who are you to say he is forever disqualified from pastoring again?
Was Peter disqualified FOREVER after denying Jesus? Was David disqualified FOREVER after his sin? How can you call yourselves followers of Christ and be so blind? Be warned. The measure of mercy you give is what you'll get. Some guy named Jesus said something like that, I think.

I don't excuse or make light of anything Ted has done. The thing that impresses me is that Ted doesn't seem to either. He is a man with a broken spirit over his sin, and God calls that "blessed". Not your arrogance, and unmerciful, judgmental, proud attitude displayed in your bashings. That (in my opinion) is worse than Ted's sin, because he has repented, and you give yourself a badge.

Come on people, if God could use David after his adultress affair and his murdering heart, then God can surely use Ted and his wife. Do we not realize that when God saved us He knew our life from beginning to end, and if he choose to save Ted and his wife has forgiven him, why can't we? My life has not been as pure as it should or could have been, but I realize that God knew me way before I knew Him, and if He loved me enough to draw me to Himself, why keep beating myself up? How can we forgive others if we have not first learned to forgive ourselves as God has? I say if God blesses Ted's ministry, then it just reveals how great is the love of our God.

This is the reason so many people laugh and scoff at Christians. Anyone silly enough to become a member of his church deserves to be duped.I expect to hear that George Rekers will also be starting a new church any day now, that is if he can find enough young male prostitutes to help him set it up.

God forgives, but should he lead? Maybe Ten is about to step into his first real honest ministry. As a pastor for 30 years, I can assure you I'm not without sin and God still uses me.

Be prayerful people. Pray and watch. Be careful with words as James reminded us.

"Becoming St. James Church brings with it a tax structure that helps “keep the accounting in order," said Ted; the couple has been giving paid talks at U.S. churches for the past 18 months."

But the greater question here is if he has the support of the National Association of Evangelicals, or any other church organization, in making this return to the pulpit. There is an order.

1Ti 3:5 (For if a man does not know to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
1Ti 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the Devil.
1Ti 3:7 But he must also have a good report from those on the outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil.
1Ti 3:8 Likewise the deacons are to be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of ill gain,
1Ti 3:9 having the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
1Ti 3:10 And let these also first be tested, then let them minister without reproach.

Haggard may be forgiven, but he is disqualified as pastor from now on. He has displayed a inclination towards sins that are particularly damaging to both himself and who ever may share in his sin. He also bathed himself in deceit and lies, and gave no regard to his first ministry, which is his family. Though God apparently has used him, he may not have ever been qualified.

This is not an issue of forgiveness or salvation, Haggard has disqualified himself by the Bible's own standards. There are consequences for sin even when God has forgiven us, as seen in the story of David which so many of you are quick to point out.

As for David....the saints of the Old Testament did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, as believers under the new covenant the word is written on our hearts. We should never minimize the power of grace in the life of a believer, but it is almost incomprehensible that a believer could engage in deceit and perversion to the degree that he did.

I'm an atheist.
And Ted Haggard is a perfect example of why I regard modern Christianity as hypocritical.
The man used meth and had gay sex with a male prostitute.
That's condemned as sin in the Bible - pure and simple.
He no longer qualifies as a Christian leader.

Kind of reminds me of that movie, The Evangelist.
Despite killing somebody, he just couldn't resist starting up a new church.

It's in Ted's blood. He wants to preach and wants to lead in a church setting.
But, he cut himself off from that.

Ted, if you read this, I don't think you're an aweful person.
Just accept your sexuality, and move on with your life.
So what you are bi or gay. No one really cares.
But, don't burden American Christianity by trying to lead again.
You can find other ways to fulfill yourself in life.
You are hurting your own by starting a church where you will lead.

As a disgraced former pastor, I am sickened this man would think he is qualified to lead again. And after only two years! My sins were 25 years ago...I'm still in shame and mourning over them and would never dream returning to the ministry. Leaders who openly disgrace themselves, the Lord and their families have forfeited any right to tell others how to live their lives in a leadership capacity. Let him roll up his sleeves and work in the ghettos with drug addicts and AIDS victims, but not in the pulpit. How nauseating this man's ego is so huge he thinks he has something to offer!

No judgements here, just opinion. If he wants to do God's work he should do it in the alleys and with the addicted, homeless, widowed, and orphaned. In a place where the crowds don't fawn all over you and get in the spotlight. If he does God's work and demands no attention for it, we know it's real. If he wants to become an idol again he would look like an egomaniac again.

I believe God's word says that when we repent He removes our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. For all those who judge this man let me ask you if you have ever committed a sin great enough that you would want this kind of forgiveness? (In God's eyes all sin is the same) It is amazing to me that we can sit in judgement of someone until we are the one needing forgiveness. This man has repented of his sin and God remembers it NO MORE. If you think this man should not be forgiven where does that leave the BLOOD of JESUS. I believe we live under GRACE and MERCY. Thank you LORD. Watch out what you say about this man and how you judge him because you will stand in judgement before the Lord one day and give an account for it. My fear of the Lord prevents me from judging him or anyone else for that matter. I believe God will use him again if he is sincere and CHOOSE to believe he is.

He states no doctrines in his church, gives no explanation if there's any such thing as right versus wrong... great will be the fall of it!

Colossians 1:11-20 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled* you* to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.*
The Supremacy of Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in* him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in* him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

As for some of these ridiculous comments coming from apparently perfected saints - beware; you will be judged by the same standards with which you judge others. No where in Scripture does it say that after falling into sin AND repenting someone cannot be restored into a leadership position. If this were the case, NO ONE would be qualified to lead.

It's a stunning indictment of so many of your hearts, people, that you would cast such condemnation and yes, near-hatred, for Ted. I think like Shakespeare, "Me thinks he doth protest too much." What sins are you hiding, folks? The beam in your eyes is causing you to see through the glass even more darkly, I fear.