Gay Rights Group
Calls for Investigation of Haggard's Church

Truth Wins Out, a group that calls out antigay and "ex-gay" propaganda, is pushing for an investigation into Colorado's New Life Church after it was revealed the church paid to keep a male volunteer from publicly admitting an affair with its former minister, Ted Haggard.

Haggard left his job as pastor of the Colorado Springs-based New Life Church in 2006 after it was revealed he had had an affair and done drugs with a male prostitute, Mike Jones. More recently, Haggard admitted to having another gay affair while serving as pastor, this time with a church volunteer. According to the AP, New Life's current senior pastor, Brady Boyd, said the church paid the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties discuss the relationship publicly. Truth Wins Out says the church is guilty of providing the man with "hush money."

"Authorities should investigate to ensure that this volunteer was not manipulated or coerced into silence," said Wayne Besen, Truth Wins Out's executive director, in a press release. "The leadership of New Life has little credibility and should not simply be taken at their word. At a minimum, Boyd should resign for using his position of power to pressure a vulnerable member of his congregation into silence." (Neal Broverman, Advocate.com)