Twenty-four years ago, in February 2001, I woke up at 1:23 am, I sat up in the bed, and I began to see images of Pastor Ted Haggard, at the time, Senior Pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, images of him engaging in things that were not pleasing to the Lord.
I was freaked out, to say the least. I’m a good Southern Baptist!
I dismissed it.
It kept occurring at 1:23 am until finally I told my wife, Tosha, “I am either going crazy or God has revealed something to me that I am to do something about.”
I eventually started writing it down in my journal. Eventually, I shared it with my elder board at Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs. They joined me in praying over this. I went through a process I describe in the book, “The Mystery of 23: God Speaks.”
Finally, after a series of confirmations and steps, I asked Pastor Ted for a meeting. He granted it. I shared it with him. He confirmed the revelations as true but refused to go into detail. He did say, “I have shared these things with my elders, and they have asked me to keep it quiet.”
That moment, 24 years ago, is burned into my memory.
Sadly, Pastor Ted decided to turn on me and weaponized his “Overseer board” against me. The suffering of this moment was beyond measure. One that has shaped all the days of my life since then. Probably the second most painful day of my life, second only to the death of my mom at the hands of a drunk driver. My church elder board, led by, Vance Brown, at that time, asked me to set it on the shelf and wait. I obeyed. Five years later, the truth was plastered across the evening news, sadly, the “Overseer board” led by Pastor Larry Stockstill of Bethany Church, refused to own what they knew five years prior. They let Pastor Ted take the fall with no responsibility.
I have learned through that situation and have watched many other situations over the past almost twenty-five years to know, Pastor Ted, Pastor Robert Morris, and others can’t do what they did in a vacuum. It requires others to keep their secrets. Recently, Pastor Robert Morris was indicted for sex crimes against a minor. How could this occur so many years ago and go undetected? Well, as we learn again, it can’t, without others hiding the truth of what happened. Sins of commission require sins of omission by those responsible for holding the perpetrator accountable. Just as Pastor Ted didn’t sin in a vacuum, neither did Pastor Morris.
Gateway Church subsequently authorized an independent investigation into the allegations against Pastor Morris, and last November, Gateway Elder Tra Willbanks announced that multiple elders were removed from the church as he presented an overview of the four-month internal investigation.
All but three Gateway elders, he said, had some knowledge about Morris’ encounter with Clemishire and “failed to inquire further.” Some, he said, allegedly knew that Clemishire was a child when she was abused before her going public.
“We now know that there were elders and employees at Gateway who knew before June 14, 2024, that Cindy was 12 at the time of the abuse,” Willbanks said. “Both groups are fundamentally wrong and simply cannot and will not be tolerated at Gateway Church.”
What about the “elders and employees” who left Gateway Church since the knowledge of this situation was shared with them? Pastor Brady Boyd at the time was the Associate Senior Pastor of Gateway Church when Cindy Clemishire shared her underage abuse with elder, Tom Lane. Was he aware? Who else was potentially aware of these details who left after the knowledge of this was shared with them?
It is important for each leader to be held accountable. It is important that each leader publicly come forward and state whether they were aware of this crime or not. For complete healing to occur for the body of Christ, the sins of commission and the sins of omission must be addressed.
Sadly, my experience with New Life Church in Colorado Springs twenty-four years ago casts doubt on my ability to trust the process that I see playing out now at Gateway Church and their association with it. However, that does not mean my doubt determines guilt, it simply begs the question. It is my hope that Senior Pastor Brady Boyd from New Life Church in Colorado Springs along with the current Elder Board and Overseer Board would seek to go above board to make sure the body of Christ is aware that Pastor Brady was not aware of Cindy’s email conversation with Tom Lane. If we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear by making a public statement. It would seem to me the Associate Senior Pastor of Gateway, Pastor Brady Boyd, during the time of Cindy’s email to Tom Lane, would want everyone to know, he was not aware of these revelations.
Also, who else was aware? Who else moved on after these revelations were made? What favors were given to individuals on Pastor Morris’s Executive Team and Elder board, to look the other way? Sadly, a network of pastors is falling, and it seems self-preservation has become the norm. Sadly, more pastors are still to fall in this season due to the Elder Board’s unwillingness to address sin that occurred years ago.
God doesn’t have a moratorium on sin hidden by His leaders.
God wants His leaders to confess and forsake the sin done to others. He doesn’t want us to “protect His church” image. He wants us to protect His church, His sheep! God’s shepherds have sadly looked the other way, and His sheep have paid the price. Their “careers” for Christ have kept them from confessing what they know, and they have used the “reputation” of Christ’s church as their excuse for hiding it.
God does not need us to protect His reputation.
God is not looking for “career” Christian leaders.
God is looking for leaders, Good Shepherds, who seek to protect His sheep, for His glory and their good.
Blessings,
Pastor Kelly
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