God meant it for good...

I just found this article about Mike Jones, the former male prostitute whose accusations led to Ted Haggard's resignation from his church and from the National Association of Evangelicals last year. 

In my view, this is Gospel evangelism at its purest.  Haggard was honest, humbled, and repentant through the course of this scandal, and by owning the consequences of his sin-- and his congregation owning it biblically too-- Mike Jones became curious about this church (and, though the Star Tribune doesn't report it this way, he became curious about the Gospel).

A telling remark came from Associate Pastor Rob Brendle:

"I told Mike, 'I don't want to impose my religious beliefs on you, but I believe God used you to correct us, and I appreciate that."'

What a great picture of leadership!  Of course, no one should hope for struggles and stumbling such as Haggard's, but everyone can pray that their leaders (and themselves) would respond to stumbling in a manner such as Brendle (and even Haggard) did.

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