What is Ted Haggard's Net Worth?
Ted Haggard is an evangelical pastor who has a net worth of $200,000. Ted Haggard founded New Life Church and Saint James Church in Colorado Springs. In late 2006, he made national headlines when it was revealed that he had been purchasing sex and drugs from male prostitute Mike Jones. Haggard consequently resigned from New Life Church and his other leadership positions, and went into exile.
Early Life and Education
Ted Haggard was born on June 27, 1956 in Yorktown, Indiana. His father, J.M., was a veterinarian who founded an international charismatic ministry. At the age of 16, Haggard became a born-again Christian after hearing a sermon from Bill Bright in Dallas, Texas. While in college, he allegedly had a religious experience that caused him to drop out and pursue a ministerial career at Oral Roberts University, an evangelical school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduating in 1978, Haggard became a minister in the Southern Baptist Convention. He later became an associate pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
New Life Church
In 1984, Haggard founded the evangelical New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Started as a meeting in his home with 22 people, the church gradually expanded to larger spaces, including strip-mall offices and other rented spaces. Eventually, it operated from a campus with a congregation of around 14,000. New Life Church is known for its worship music, having released numerous albums over the years.
Sex and Drug Scandal
In late 2006, Haggard became embroiled in a sex and drug scandal that made national headlines. Male prostitute and masseur Mike Jones alleged that Haggard had paid him for sex for three years, and had also purchased crystal methamphetamine from him. Jones made the accusations public to expose the hypocrisy of Haggard, a noted homophobe who voted to ban same-sex marriage in Colorado. Although he initially denied the allegations, Haggard ended up resigning from his position at New Life Church amid the scandal. Soon, as the veracity of the allegations became more apparent, he was fired as senior pastor. Haggard also resigned from his leadership role at the National Association of Evangelicals. He went on to undergo three weeks of intensive counseling with four ministers. Later, Haggard admitted to drug use and some sexual activity with Jones. An HBO documentary about the sex scandal, called "The Trials of Ted Haggard," premiered in early 2009. That year, Haggard and his wife did the media rounds, with Haggard publicly apologizing for his actions.
Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Haggard was implicated in another scandal in early 2009 when officials from his former church reported that he had previously been in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a young male churchgoer. According to Haggard's successor, Brady Boyd, the church reached a six-figure settlement with the man, named Grant Haas; it also paid him for counseling and college tuition. Haggard later publicly admitted to the relationship.
In the summer of 2022, new allegations against Haggard were made by Saint James Church minister Kirk Sethman, who recorded the statements of two men who claimed that Haggard had touched them inappropriately on several occasions in church. One of the men had been a minor when the touching allegedly began in 2019.
Saint James Church
Haggard began holding prayer meetings in his barn in late 2009. The following year, he founded Saint James Church with his wife, and held his first meeting as pastor. In 2022, amid new allegations of sexual misconduct with young men from the church, Haggard sold the warehouse housing Saint James for a reported $1.95 million.
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Books
Haggard has written many evangelical books. His first, "Primary Purpose," came out in 1995. That was followed by "Loving Your City into the Kingdom" (1997) and "Confident Parents, Exceptional Teens" (1999). In 2001, Haggard published "The Life-Giving Church," which outlines his entrepreneurial leadership model and his foundational ministry concept. His other books include "Letters From Home" (2003), "Foolish No More!" (2005), and "From This Day Forward: Making Your Vows Last a Lifetime" (2006).
Personal Life
With his wife Gayle Alcorn, whom he married in 1978, Haggard has five children: Christy, Marcus, Jonathan, Alex, and Elliott. Marcus founded and served as the pastor of Boulder Street Church in Colorado Springs.
In an issue of GQ magazine in 2011, Haggard stated in an interview that he would probably identify as bisexual if he were younger.
