New Life Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

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New Life Church is a non-denominational Evangelical Protestant Christian megachurch located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S..

Contents

[edit] Ted Haggard Founding and Leadership

New Life Church was founded in 1984 by Ted Haggard. The church started under Haggard's leadership as an independent church meeting in Haggard's home. From these origins, the church grew through a succession of larger meeting spaces including strip mall office space and other non-traditional church locations.

During the period of its growth between 1984 and 2006, the church was led by its founder Ted Haggard.

One key aspect of ministry has included spiritual warfare, "prayer walking," and involvement in the global prayer movement of the 1990s. Through association with ministries like Global Harvest Ministries, New Life Church established the World Prayer Center as well as the World Prayer Team, an Internet-based global prayer ministry. Haggard's books Primary Purpose, Loving Your City into the Kingdom, and Taking It to the Streets illustrate these emphases of Ted Haggard's era of ministry in the church.

A second key aspect of ministry has included small group ministry. The church considers its "free market" approach to cell groups one of the church's keys to success. Small groups are available for numerous interests including traditional examples such as Bible study and parenting to non-tradtional examples such as rock climbing and motorcycle dirt bike riding. Haggard's book Dog Training, Fly Fishing, and Sharing Christ in the 21st Century illustrate this orientation of ministry in the church.

A third key aspect of ministry under Haggard's leadership was cultural and political engagement. New Life Church, along with Focus on the Family, established Colorado Springs as a conservative evangelical center in the 1990s.[1] In 2005, Jeff Sharlet claimed that while New Life is "by no means the largest megachurch…[it] holds more sway over the political direction of evangelicalism" than any other church in America.[2]

A fourth key aspect of ministry has been missions orientation with association and support of organizations such as YWAM as well as sending out short-term missions teams from the church's own missions programs.

A fifth key aspect of ministry has been big productions. With hundreds of participants and Broadway theater-like entertainment, the production of Wonderland in Christmas time and the production of The Thorn for Easter, draws tens of thousands in attendance for this productions in the primary two Christian holiday seasons.

A six key aspect of New Life Church philosophy of ministry under Haggard's leadership was a foundational emphasis on personal dedication to Jesus Christ and moral living so that one could extend focus beyond self and then to others in the community, the church, and the world in line with the above aspects of ministry. This aspect of ministry is detailed in Haggard's books The Life Giving Church, Simple Prayers for a Powerful Life, and Foolish No More!, and From This Day Forward: Making Your Vows Last a Lifetime.

[edit] Campus and Facilities

The church established its present campus location in the early 1990s and added buildings and added onto existing buildings in this location. The initial sanctuary on the campus, now referred to as the "theater," seats 1,500 and is used primarily for children's church. The current main sanctuary seats 7,500.[2].

The New Life campus is also home to the World Prayer Center. The World Prayer Center, through the use of Internet technologies and The World Prayer Team organization, coordinates global prayer efforts among its participants. Open 24-hours a day for prayer and worship, The World Prayer Center is home to several ministries and internship programs including the Furnace, YWAM Strategic Intiatives, TwentyFourSeven Worldwide and Desperation Internship.

The smallest building on the campus is The Tent which used for conducting youth meetings.

Children's classrooms are in a Bible story-themed area called Woo-Gah Land.[2]

[edit] Scandal and Departure of Ted Haggard

On November 2, 2006, Mike Jones, a male escort, accused Haggard of paying him for sex in monthly trysts over the past three years.[3] Further, Jones said Haggard snorted methamphetamine before their sexual encounters to heighten his experience.[3] KUSA-TV released voice mails, in which a person, purportedly Haggard, said, "Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply."[3] Jones said "supply" referred to methamphetamine.[3]

Later that day, the Rocky Mountain News stated Haggard stepped down as pastor, and quoted him as saying, "I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."[3] Two days later, the Board of Overseerers at the church announced that they had decided to permanently dismiss Haggard from his role.[4] In a letter read to the Congregation on November 6, 2006, Haggard stated that he and his wife "will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church."[5]

On November 20, the search for a new senior pastor began with the creation of a nine person Pastoral Selection Committee. Any committee recommendation would need approval by the church's Board of Overseers and a two-thirds majority congregation vote.[6][7][8] [2]

[edit] Ross Parsley Interim Pastorship

After Ted Haggard's depature, music ministry pastor, Ross Parsley was selected by the Overseers as interim senior pastor. Like Haggard, Parsley is a graduate of Oral Roberts University.

Parsley leads New Life Worship, the worship ministry of New Life Church. Well-known in Evangelical circles, several of New Life Worship's songs are sung in Evangelical church services around the world, including "Rescue" by Jared Anderson, and "I Am Free" by Jon Egan which has been recorded by several artists including the Newsboys. The Desperation Band is the collective youth bands of New Life Church led by Jon Egan, Glenn Packiam and Jared Anderson.

Four months after Haggard's departure, Parsley announced that the church had to lay off 44 people, or about 12 percent of its work force, due to falling church income.[9][10] In addition, according to associate pastor Rob Brendle, church attendance has dropped 20 percent since Haggard's departure, and giving has fallen 10 percent.[11]

In addition to the ministry emphases of the Haggard era, Parsley also extended focus into a Christian social mission through a number of events which themed the summer of 2006 as the "Summer of Service." Projects coordinating the efforts of church members involved various maintenance and service projects in support of ministries, schools, and other organizations throughout the Colorado Springs area.

Parsley continues on in leadership of music at the church.

[edit] Brady Boyd

On August 27, 2007, the church's Pastoral Selection Committee announced that Pastor Brady Boyd - formerly of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas - would replace Ted Haggard as the Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Pastor Boyd spoke at New Life Church during regular services for three Sundays prior to the decision. A two-third majority vote was required from the congregation to approve Boyd as pastor; he received more than ninety-five percent approval in the congregational vote.

Brady Boyd previously served on the Senior Pastoral Team at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Boyd graduated from Louisiana Tech University and has a background in television and radio broadcasting as well as sales management. Boyd has no formal theological degree.

Present church attendance is approximately 10,000.

[edit] Shooting

Main article: Colorado Springs church shooting

On December 9, 2007, a gunman opened fire in the New Life Church, striking four people and killing two. A church security guard shot and wounded the gunman who then killed himself. [12]

[edit] Board of Overseers

The New Life Church bylaws specify a Board of Overseers, for the purposes of disciplining the Senior Pastor while "protect[ing] the hearts of all involved" [13], among other duties. It currently consists of:

  • Pastor Larry Stockstill from Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, LA
  • Pastor Mike Ware from Victory Church in Denver, CO
  • Pastor Mark Cowart from Church for All Nations in Colorado Springs, CO
  • Pastor Tim Ralph from New Covenant Fellowship in Larkspur, CO
  • Pastor Chris Hodges from Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL

[edit] Media References

Ted Haggard and other members of the church were featured on a 1997 episode of the PRI radio program This American Life [14], as well as the documentaries Jesus Camp and The Root of All Evil?.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Emery, Erin. "Church altered Springs; will scandal change city?", Denver Post, 2006-11-05. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. 
  2. ^ a b c Jeff Sharlet (2005). "Soldiers of Christ: I. Inside America's most powerful megachurch". Harper's 310 (1860): 42-44. 
  3. ^ a b c d e "Evangelical leader accused of gay trysts", Associated Press, November 2, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-03. 
  4. ^ New Life Church (2006-11-04). Board of Overseers Press Release (PDF). Press release. Retrieved on 2006-11-10.
  5. ^ Haggard, Ted. "Ted Haggard's Letter to New Life Church", New Life Church, 2006-11-06. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. 
  6. ^ New Life Church. "Trustees' Instructions for Pastor Selection Process and Membership Meeting Nov. 20", New Life Church, 2006-11-20. Retrieved on 2006-11-20. 
  7. ^ Torkelson, Jean. "New Life flock to pick leader", Rocky Mountain News, 2006-11-10. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. 
  8. ^ Asay, Paul. "New Lifers will elect their new senior pastor", The Gazette, 2006-11-08. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. 
  9. ^ Leider-Vogrin, Cary. "New Life Church lays off more than 40 employees", Colorado Springs Gazette, 2007-03-04. Retrieved on 2007-03-04. 
  10. ^ "Layoffs Hit Megachurch After Haggard Scandal", The Christian Post, 2007-03-05. Retrieved on 2007-03-05. 
  11. ^ Gorski, Eric. "Ted Haggard Leaves Colorado for Arizona", The Associated Press, 2007-04-19. Retrieved on 2007-04-27. 
  12. ^ "Five Die In New Life Church, Youth With a Mission Shootings", The Post Chronicle, 2007-12-10. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. 
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ This American Life:Pray. Public Radio International. 1997-09-26. No. 77.

[edit] External links

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