Contact Dane Rose, National Clergy Council, 202-546-8329 ext 106.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following text is a statement from the National Clergy Council’s Senior Fellow for Public Policy, Dr. Charles Nestor:

We at the National Clergy Council are saddened by the resignation of The Rev. Ted Haggard from the presidency of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and as the Senior Pastor of the New-Life Church in Colorado Springs amid charges of paying a male personal trainer for sex.

We extend our prayer for Rev. Haggard, his family, the membership of New-Life Church, and the constituents of NAE at this difficult time.

Many have already rushed to raise charges of yet another evangelical clergy hypocrisy. Evangelicals teach that homosexual behavior is proscribed in the Bible and is therefore to be viewed as a sin in all cases.

Many are raising the charge of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the playing of a role, i.e., as an actor, without the inward conviction that it represents the truth. Pastor Haggard’s swift resignations indicate to us that while he failed to live out the truth he taught, he recognizes that his conduct was clearly wrong.

Dr. Charles Nestor

Senior Fellow for Public Policy

The National Clergy Council