...And Another One Down, Another One Down....

Pastor at Haggard's church resigns over 'sexual misconduct'

'COLORADO SPRINGS (AP) - A pastor who worked with young adults at New Life Church has resigned after admitting sexual misconduct and other mistakes.

This comes just weeks after former church leader Ted Haggard stepped down over sexual immorality, church officials said.

Christopher Beard, who headed the twentyfourseven ministry that taught leadership skills to young adults, resigned Friday after admitting sexual misconduct and other mistakes, said Rob Brendle, an associate pastor at the 14,000-member church.

Brendle said Beard told church officials about "a series of decisions displaying poor judgment, including one incident of sexual misconduct several years ago." He would not elaborate about the nature of the misconduct but said it did not involve Haggard or a minor.

The resignation was reported Monday by The Denver Post and The Gazette in Colorado Springs. Brendle did not immediately return a call Monday from The Associated Press, and a residential phone number listed in Beard's name was disconnected.

Beard, who had worked at New Life Church for nine years, was not married at the time of the sexual misconduct but is now, Brendle said.

Church leadership asked its outside Board of Overseers to examine the "spiritual character" of the 200 staff members after Haggard resigned last month from the church and as president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Haggard acknowledged he paid Mike Jones of Denver for a massage and for methamphetamine, but said he did not have sex with him and did not use the drug. Jones has said Haggard paid him regularly for sex. Haggard and his wife, Gayle Haggard, are undergoing three weeks of counseling at an undisclosed center in Arizona.'