Dobson, 2 ministers to offer counsel
November 06, 2006
By CAROL McGRAW
THE GAZETTE

The three men chosen to oversee the Rev. Ted Haggard’s spiritual restoration are well-known in conservative Christian circles and are old pros at such work.

James Dobson, the Rev. Jack Hayford and the Rev. Tommy Barnett have been tapped by New Life’s overseer board to “perform a thorough analysis of Haggard’s mental, spiritual, emotional and physical life.”

That includes a polygraph test and extensive investigation, according to the Rev. Larry Stockstill, chairman of the overseer board.

Haggard was fired Saturday from the 14,000-member church he founded, after a two-day investigation by the overseer board of a Denver man’s allegations that he had a sexual relationship with Haggard and had seen the minister take drugs.

Haggard acknowledged “sexual misconduct” in a letter that was read to the congregation Sunday, but he did not specify the misconduct and said not all of the allegations are true.

The men chosen to counsel Haggard are respected in the evangelical community and have been called upon over the years to counsel many other pastors — fallen or not. They range from singer Pat Boone to televangelist Jim Bakker. the rest