Paul Barnes, founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel in Englewood CO, a Denver suburb, told his evangelical congregation in a videotaped message he had had sexual relations with other men. What is it with these evangelicals storming out of the closet all of a sudden? Details below the fold...
see- http://news.yahoo.com/...
also see- http://www.theage.com.au/... ----although this article lists his church incorrectly at Englewood CA.
The Denver Post reports that Barnes wasn't active in supporting the CO gay marriage ban...
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - The founding pastor of a second Colorado church has resigned over gay sex allegations, just weeks after the evangelical community was shaken by the scandal surrounding megachurch leader Ted Haggard.
Haggard, a gay-marriage opponent, admitted to unspecified "sexual immorality" when he resigned last month as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs. A male prostitute had said he had had sex with Haggard for three years.
On Sunday, Paul Barnes, founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel in this Denver suburb, told his evangelical congregation in a videotaped message he had had sexual relations with other men and was stepping down.
Dave Palmer, associate pastor of Grace Chapel, told The Denver Post that Barnes confessed to him after the church received a call last week.
The church board of elders accepted Barnes' resignation on Thursday.
On the videotape, which The Post was allowed to view, Barnes told church members: "I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy. ... I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away."
Barnes, 54, led Grace Chapel for 28 years. He and his wife have two adult children.
Palmer said in a written statement that "While we cannot condone what he has done, we continue to support and love Paul."
I guess 'tis the season to be jolly' has taken on a whole new meaning with the christian right this year. Who's next??? That remedial straight class being supervised by Dobson et al is filling up fast!