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Bitterness. Stale orthodoxy. Broken friendships. All of those require something more than mere patches to find healing. That will be the case for New Life Church, for Brown's church, and for others experiencing the betrayal of profound vows.

Having been through the wringer, Brown says: "You put these people on this pedestal and you put orthodoxy on a pedestal, and [then] you realize that you can speak in the tongues of men and angels, but if you lose love and grace, you lose everything."

Joe Maxwell is a former CT assistant news editor and currently journalist-in-residence at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

"The Pain at New Life," also from the January issue of Christianity Today, follows a New Life family as they deal with Haggard's fall.

Christianity Today's full coverage of the Ted Haggard scandal is available on our site.

News articles on New Life's and Ted Haggard's recovery processes can be found on weblogs from December 1, November 21, 17, 16, 15, 13, and 6. Recent articles include:

Church looks to find its next life | Like many megachurches that have lost founders, New Life Church is in uncharted waters (The Denver Post)

New Life begins pastor hunt | With brisk efficiency, New Life Church in Colorado Springs has taken the first step toward finding a successor to disgraced Pastor Ted Haggard (Rocky Mountain News, Denver)

Shelving Ted Haggard's marital advice | What's in From This Day Forward, Making Your Vows Count a Lifetime (Jennifer Hunter, Chicago Sun-Times)

Arizona may figure into Haggard renewal | Exact plans for counseling are unclear (The Gazette, Colorado Springs)

Their demons make them do it | On the scale of despicableness, the hypocrite is king (Robyn Blumner, St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)

Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction and Restoring the Soul of a Church are available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

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January 2007, Vol. 51, No. 1