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The early November revelations about Ted Haggard's sexually immoral behavior provoked deep sorrow among those who knew, loved, and admired him. Though the extent and exact nature of his transgressions remain unclear as this issue goes to press, we are thankful that "Pastor Ted" (as he was affectionately known) took complete responsibility for his behavior. Haggard was pastor of the largest church in the Rocky Mountain region and president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), so the ramifications of his behavior will reverberate for years to come. It is an important occasion for American evangelicals to ask serious questions about our movement.

Aside from the fact that we all need to be wary of temptation and that we are all sinners who must trust in God's mercy, there is a corporate dimension we could easily overlook. In particular, we need to consider the double-edged nature of our entrepreneurial and often celebrity-driven movement.

Some of the highest achievements of contemporary evangelicalism can be credited to our entrepreneurial energy. When evangelicals have seen a need, they have not simply wished for "somebody to do something about it." Often, they have formed new, ad hoc organizations, recruited help, and set out to fix a problem, cure an ill, meet a need, or evangelize a neglected population. This has resulted in the transformation of countless lives, and it has also provided leadership opportunities for many who would not otherwise have had them. The result has been flashes of brilliance and tremendous creativity.

This entrepreneurial spirit, however, has also has been the cause of organizational chaos, a characteristic of our movement. Even worse, it has repeatedly provided the occasion for abusive staff relations, sexual or fiscal immorality, and pride-fueled cults of personality.

Ted Haggard is, in some ways, a textbook case of the spiritual entrepreneur. He had a vision for a particular kind of ministry in Colorado Springs. He began small—with services in his unfinished basement. His ministry was nurtured on prayer. He invested himself heavily. And God blessed his spiritual sowing with the harvest of a 14,000-member church. As president of NAE, he was able to draw national attention to evangelical concerns about the environment and human rights, among other issues.

Yet it's not hard to see how the same dynamic person who creates success out of nothing—without existing structures, accountability, or senior oversight—can drift into a lifestyle that balks at accountability. Or can be afraid to seek help. If he just works the problem—like he's worked all the problems in his ministry—he'll be able to climb this hill on prayer, grit, and determination. As Haggard has acknowledged—as every church leader who has failed morally has acknowledged—no one has the resources to do that on his own.

This is not to say that leaders in more traditional structures are free from temptation—for we not only need to have accountability structures, but also the will and energy to make sure they are employed. The problem with most start-up organizations and churches is that while they are growing a dynamic ministry, they are somehow supposed to create procedures, guidelines, handbooks, bylaws, and safeguards from scratch. And without historic structures or a focus on making use of safeguards, potential ethical problems can go unrecognized. "Of course we can trust Pastor Dave to travel alone to another city, to sign checks himself, to whatever—we'll put a procedure in place at the next annual meeting when we have a little more time."

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December 2006, Vol. 50, No. 12