Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, devoted his broadcast today to discussing the admission of sexually immoral conduct by the Rev. Ted Haggard, former senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado, and former head of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Dr. Dobson is joined by the Rev. H.B. London, vice president of ministry outreach at Focus on the Family, Dr. Ravi Zacharias, president of Ravi Zacharias Ministries and Dr. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Together they analyze the symptoms and the serious consequences.
"Rev. Ted Haggard, the pastor of New Life Church, a huge church here in Colorado Springs, has experienced a moral failure," Dobson said. "Pastor Haggard has written a letter admitting his sin, calling himself a 'deceiver' and a 'liar' and one who has disappointed his family, his church and the cause of Christ. It was a very explicit and repentant letter that was read in the service."
After an investigation and conversations with Haggard, a board of overseers dismissed him.
"In a very loving way, the church has held him accountable," Dobson said, "and he has agreed to submit to a panel to oversee the restoration process."
The panel discussed the reality of sexual sin in the church, not just in the context of New Life Church, but many other churches across the nation -- big and small.
London shared details of Focus on the Family's pastor's hotline that pastors can call anonymously. He said sexual indiscretion and inappropriate sexual relationships are the No. 1 reason pastors call.
"We've dealt with four of these in the last 10 days," he said. "What we find in every one of them is a lack of godly intimacy, there's no accountability, and there's usually some unresolved conflict at home."
Zacharias called the human heart a "very fragile thing."
"We need to have a healthy respect for the power of seduction," he said. "If we don't, we will stumble as well."
Dr. Mohler said the church needs to call sin what it is -- and deal with it honestly.
"In its very essence," he said, "it's not only breaking God's law, it's robbing God of His glory."
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You can hear today's broadcast online.
