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The full memo:

Dear New Lifers and friends of New Life Church,

Many of you have expressed concern about today's news regarding our pastor. Thank you all for your prayers and support, and for your concern for our church family.

As you've likely heard by now, Pastor Ted has voluntarily placed himself on administrative leave as New Life's senior pastor to allow our external board of overseers to work effectively. Below is the statement that we released to the media on Thursday afternoon.

Since that time, the board of overseers has met with Pastor Ted. It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true. He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation.

I am serving as the acting senior pastor of New Life Church. I met with the pastoral staff and elders Thursday night, and I assure you that the leadership team is strong and united. We remain resolute in our commitment to serving New Life Church and the people of our community.

Please continue to keep Ted and Gayle and their family in your prayers.

I love serving God with you all,

Ross Parsley

Accuser says accusation was politically motivated (update: 9:30 a.m.)
Mike Jones, the self-described prostitute who says former National Association of Evangelicals president Ted Haggard has been paying him for sex and drugs over the past three years, told The Rocky Mountain News that he was motivated by a desire to expose hypocrisy and to influence Tuesday's election. Colorado voters are considering a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as "a union of one man and one woman." The News's Fernando Quintero writes:

Jones said he had thought about revealing his alleged affair with Haggard months ago but was advised by his attorney that he needed to gather more evidence. He said he decided to come out with his story before the election to influence voters.

"There are two important initiatives," he said, referring to a measure that would grant same-sex couples legal protections afforded to married couples, and another that would define marriage in Colorado as a union between a man and a woman.

"Friends have suffered because of our laws. I felt obligated to get the information out about the hypocrisy of people who make these laws and those who support them.

"It may not change the way people vote, but I feel I did what I had to do. I needed to expose what was happening. You can't say one thing and do another. There are consequences to our actions."

Jones fails lie-detector test (update: 9:30 a.m.)
Mike Jones failed his much-publicized polygraph test this morning. Though it was conducted off the air and off the premises of Peter Boyles's talk show, where Jones's accusations against Haggard were first broadcast, the test was arranged by Boyles's program. Announcing the results on the air, the polygraph administrator said that Jones's results "indicated deception." Specifically, the administrator said, Jones indicated deception in saying yes to two questions: "Did you lie when you said you had a three-year relationship with Ted Haggard?" and "Did you lie when you said you had sexual contact with Ted Haggard?" Jones said he did not lie in his answers, and that he may have failed because he only slept for two hours the previous night. He said he may submit himself to another round of polygraph testing.

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November (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50