New Life Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Encyclopedia
New Life Church is a non-denominational charismatic
Evangelical
Christian
megachurch
located in Colorado Springs
, Colorado
, United States
. New Life Church has more than 10,000 members and is pastored by Brady Boyd
.
. The church started under his leadership as an independent church meeting in his home. From these origins, the church grew through a succession of larger meeting spaces including strip mall
office space and other non-traditional church locations. The church grew to upwards of 14,000 members under Haggard.
." Later the same day, Haggard voluntarily stepped down as pastor so "the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," and that he would be seeking "spiritual advice and guidance." Two days later, New Life Church's Board of Overseers announced that they had decided to permanently dismiss Haggard from his role.
In January 2009, new allegations emerged that Haggard, while pastor at New Life, had an inappropriate relationship with a former attendee. Haggard's successor, Brady Boyd, said the church reached a six figure settlement with the man, who was in his early 20s at the time. According to a News Channel 13
report, the man said the contact was "not consensual".
was selected by the Overseers as interim senior pastor. Parsley is a graduate of Oral Roberts University
. Since 1991, Parsley has led New Life Worship, the worship ministry of New Life Church. He is currently senior pastor of a church in Austin,TX.
On August 27, 2007, the Pastoral Selection Committee announced that Brady Boyd was recommended to replace Haggard as senior pastor. Boyd spoke at New Life Church during regular services for three Sundays prior to the decision. A two-third majority vote was required from the congregation to approve Boyd as pastor. Boyd received more than ninety-five percent approval in the congregational vote.
The gunman, identified as Matthew Murray age 24, was formerly a missionary-in-training with Youth With A Mission
and was from a devout Christian family.
About the shooting, Jeanne Assam said, "I just prayed for the Holy Spirit
to guide me. I said, 'Holy Spirit, please be with me...' My hands weren’t even shaking." Assam's shots were non-fatal. The Coroner’s report identified that the fatal shot was self inflicted. Police found a letter from the shooter addressed "To God".
At a congregational recovery meeting three days after the shooting, Boyd told parishioners they "will not be governed by fear." Boyd appeared with Jeanne Assam on a host of media appearances following the tragedy. On April 17, 2008, the Colorado State Senate honored Jeanne Assam passing a resolution calling her a "true hero".
The New Life campus is also home to the World Prayer Center. The World Prayer Center, through the use of Internet technologies and The World Prayer Team organization, coordinates global prayer efforts among its participants. The World Prayer Center is home to several ministries and internship programs including the Furnace, Burn Student Internship, and the Desperation Leadership Academy.
The smallest building on the campus is The Tent which used for conducting both youth meetings and New Life School of Worship classes.
Children's classrooms are in a Bible story-themed area.
ministry, and considers its "free market" approach to cell groups one of the church's keys to success. Small groups are available for numerous interests including traditional examples such as Bible study and parenting to non-traditional examples such as rock climbing and motorcycle dirt bike riding. Haggard's book Dog Training, Fly Fishing, and Sharing Christ in the 21st Century illustrates this orientation of ministry in the church.
The church had been involved in the global prayer movement of the 1990s and practiced spiritual warfare
and "prayer walking." Through association with ministries like Global Harvest Ministries
, the church established the World Prayer Center as well as the World Prayer Team, an Internet-based global prayer ministry. Haggard's books Primary Purpose, Loving Your City into the Kingdom, and Taking It to the Streets illustrate these emphases of Haggard's era of ministry in the church.
New Life Church, along with Focus on the Family
, established Colorado Springs as a conservative evangelical center in the 1990s. In 2005, Jeff Sharlet claimed that while New Life is "by no means the largest megachurch…[it] holds more sway over the political direction of evangelicalism" than any other church in America. However, since late 2007 when Brady Boyd became senior pastor, the church has remained relatively silent on political issues.
. Boyd graduated from Louisiana Tech University
and has a background in television and radio broadcasting as well as sales management. Boyd has no formal theological degree.
A Board of Elders with the senior pastor oversees the business of the church. A Board of Overseers, composed of pastors of other churches, has authority limited to dispute resolution and pastoral restoration and discipline.
radio program This American Life
, as well as the documentaries Jesus Camp
, Friends of God, Constantine's Sword
and The Root of All Evil?
.
Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian doctrine that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other spiritual gifts as described in of the Bible...
Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
located in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. New Life Church has more than 10,000 members and is pastored by Brady Boyd
Brady Boyd
Brady Boyd is the senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Brady Boyd finished Simsboro High School in 1985 and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1989 with a degree in journalism. He has worked as a high school English teacher, basketball coach and sports broadcaster...
.
History
New Life Church was founded in 1984 by Ted HaggardTed Haggard
Ted Arthur Haggard is an American evangelical pastor. Known as Pastor Ted to the congregation he served, he was the founder and former pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado; a founder of the Association of Life-Giving Churches; and was leader of the National Association of...
. The church started under his leadership as an independent church meeting in his home. From these origins, the church grew through a succession of larger meeting spaces including strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
office space and other non-traditional church locations. The church grew to upwards of 14,000 members under Haggard.
Ted Haggard scandals and resignation
On November 2, 2006, Haggard was accused of paying a male escort for sex for three years and of also using methamphetamineMethamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
." Later the same day, Haggard voluntarily stepped down as pastor so "the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," and that he would be seeking "spiritual advice and guidance." Two days later, New Life Church's Board of Overseers announced that they had decided to permanently dismiss Haggard from his role.
In January 2009, new allegations emerged that Haggard, while pastor at New Life, had an inappropriate relationship with a former attendee. Haggard's successor, Brady Boyd, said the church reached a six figure settlement with the man, who was in his early 20s at the time. According to a News Channel 13
KRDO-TV
KRDO-TV, virtual channel 13, is the ABC-affiliated television station in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 24. The station is owned by Pikes Peak Television, a subsidiary of the News-Press & Gazette Company of St...
report, the man said the contact was "not consensual".
New leadership
On November 20, 2006, the search for a new senior pastor began with the creation of a nine-person Pastoral Selection Committee. Per the church's by-laws, committee recommendations require approval by the Board of Overseers and a two-thirds majority congregational vote. New Life's music ministry pastor Ross ParsleyRoss Parsley
Ross Parsley is the Lead Pastor of ONEchapel, a new church plant in Austin, Texas.A graduate of Oral Roberts University, Ross has been leading worship for over 20 years in local Colorado churches and has led several outreach teams to other countries...
was selected by the Overseers as interim senior pastor. Parsley is a graduate of Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
. Since 1991, Parsley has led New Life Worship, the worship ministry of New Life Church. He is currently senior pastor of a church in Austin,TX.
On August 27, 2007, the Pastoral Selection Committee announced that Brady Boyd was recommended to replace Haggard as senior pastor. Boyd spoke at New Life Church during regular services for three Sundays prior to the decision. A two-third majority vote was required from the congregation to approve Boyd as pastor. Boyd received more than ninety-five percent approval in the congregational vote.
Shooting
On December 9, 2007, a gunman opened fire in the New Life Church, striking four people and killing two, sisters Rachel and Stephanie Works. Jeanne Assam, a church security volunteer, shot and wounded the gunman who then killed himself.The gunman, identified as Matthew Murray age 24, was formerly a missionary-in-training with Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization...
and was from a devout Christian family.
About the shooting, Jeanne Assam said, "I just prayed for the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
to guide me. I said, 'Holy Spirit, please be with me...' My hands weren’t even shaking." Assam's shots were non-fatal. The Coroner’s report identified that the fatal shot was self inflicted. Police found a letter from the shooter addressed "To God".
At a congregational recovery meeting three days after the shooting, Boyd told parishioners they "will not be governed by fear." Boyd appeared with Jeanne Assam on a host of media appearances following the tragedy. On April 17, 2008, the Colorado State Senate honored Jeanne Assam passing a resolution calling her a "true hero".
Campus and facilities
The church established its present campus location in the early 1990s and added buildings and added onto existing buildings in this location. The initial sanctuary on the campus, now referred to as the "theater," seats 1,500 and is used primarily for children's church and youth meetings throughout the week. The current main sanctuary can seat over 8000 but is currently set up to seat 5000..The New Life campus is also home to the World Prayer Center. The World Prayer Center, through the use of Internet technologies and The World Prayer Team organization, coordinates global prayer efforts among its participants. The World Prayer Center is home to several ministries and internship programs including the Furnace, Burn Student Internship, and the Desperation Leadership Academy.
The smallest building on the campus is The Tent which used for conducting both youth meetings and New Life School of Worship classes.
Children's classrooms are in a Bible story-themed area.
Ministry
New Life emphasizes its small groupCell group
The cell group is a form of church organization that is used in some Christian churches. Cell groups are generally intended to teach the Bible and personalize Christian fellowship. They are always used in cell churches, but also occur in parachurch organizations and other interdenominational...
ministry, and considers its "free market" approach to cell groups one of the church's keys to success. Small groups are available for numerous interests including traditional examples such as Bible study and parenting to non-traditional examples such as rock climbing and motorcycle dirt bike riding. Haggard's book Dog Training, Fly Fishing, and Sharing Christ in the 21st Century illustrates this orientation of ministry in the church.
The church had been involved in the global prayer movement of the 1990s and practiced spiritual warfare
Spiritual warfare
Spiritual warfare is a range of activity by various Christian groups whereby Satanic demons are combatted, using a variety of methods depending on the group, but typically through prayer.-Range of practice, history, and methodology:...
and "prayer walking." Through association with ministries like Global Harvest Ministries
Global Harvest Ministries
Global Harvest Ministries is a parachurch organisation committed to helping Christians contribute to the spread of the Gospel and Church planting around the world.The World Prayer Center is an associate organisation that exists in the same building....
, the church established the World Prayer Center as well as the World Prayer Team, an Internet-based global prayer ministry. Haggard's books Primary Purpose, Loving Your City into the Kingdom, and Taking It to the Streets illustrate these emphases of Haggard's era of ministry in the church.
New Life Church, along with Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
, established Colorado Springs as a conservative evangelical center in the 1990s. In 2005, Jeff Sharlet claimed that while New Life is "by no means the largest megachurch…[it] holds more sway over the political direction of evangelicalism" than any other church in America. However, since late 2007 when Brady Boyd became senior pastor, the church has remained relatively silent on political issues.
Leadership
Since August 27, 2007, Brady Boyd has been senior pastor. Boyd previously served on the senior pastoral team at Gateway Church in Southlake, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Boyd graduated from Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
and has a background in television and radio broadcasting as well as sales management. Boyd has no formal theological degree.
A Board of Elders with the senior pastor oversees the business of the church. A Board of Overseers, composed of pastors of other churches, has authority limited to dispute resolution and pastoral restoration and discipline.
In popular culture
Ted Haggard and other members of the church were featured on a 1997 episode of the PRIPublic Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
radio program This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, as well as the documentaries Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing about a charismatic Christian summer camp, where children spend their summers learning and practicing their prophetic gifts and being taught that they can "take back America for Christ." According to the...
, Friends of God, Constantine's Sword
Constantine's Sword
Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews - A History is a book by James Carroll, a former priest, which documents the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the long European history of anti-Semitism...
and The Root of All Evil?
The Root of All Evil?
The Root of All Evil?, later retitled The God Delusion, is a television documentary written and presented by Richard Dawkins in which he argues that humanity would be better off without religion or belief in God....
.
External links
- Official Website of New Life Church
- The World Prayer Center at New Life Church
- The Worship Ministry at New Life Church
- Max Blumenthal, The Nightmare of Christianity The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
(September 9, 2009)