Haggard told to change his plans

DENVER – The overseers of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs have stopped Ted Haggard's plan to move into a faith-based halfway house in Phoenix and minister to those who live there.

The former senior pastor of the church announced in an e-mail last week his plans to move his family into and begin counseling residents of the Dream Center halfway house in Phoenix this October.

Haggard also asked for donations in the e-mail to help support his family while he and his wife Gayle finish their degrees.

According to a news release sent Wednesday afternoon by New Life Church overseer Mike Ware, Haggard was told during a meeting in Phoenix on Tuesday, "his (Haggard's) plan and his communications about it were unacceptable."

The news release is titled, "From Overseers and Restoration Team Working with Ted Haggard".

The release is a response to a meeting between Haggard and the church overseers who flew to Phoenix Tuesday to discuss the e-mail with the former leader of one of Colorado's largest congregations.

Haggard was accused of violating an agreement he reached earlier this year with the church that fired him after he admitted to "sexual immorality" and buying methamphetamine from a gay escort in November 2006.

In the agreement, Haggard agreed to leave the ministry and stop talking publicly about the scandal in exchange for a year's salary and continued support from the church.

The release goes on to say, "Mr. Haggard's solicitation for personal support was inappropriate. It was never the intention of the Dream Center that Mr. Haggard would provide any counsel or other ministry."

Ware also writes in Wednesday's media release that Haggard will not be moving to or working with the Dream Center. In fact, the last sentence of the release reads, "He will be seeking secular employment to support himself and family."

The release did not say if Haggard was punished in any way for making the inappropriate comments in his email.

Ware also serves as senior pastor at the Victory Church in Westminster.