ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The founding pastor of a second Colorado church has resigned over gay sex allegations, just weeks after the evangelical community was shaken by the scandal surrounding megachurch leader Ted Haggard.
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On Sunday, Paul Barnes, founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel in this Denver suburb, told his evangelical congregation in a videotaped message he had had sexual relations with other men and was stepping down.
Dave Palmer, associate pastor of Grace Chapel, told The Denver Post that Barnes confessed to him after the church received a call last week.
The church board of elders accepted Barnes' resignation on Thursday.
On the videotape, which The Post was allowed to view, Barnes told church members: "I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy. ... I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away."
This is just another clueless, deceitful pastor who lied to his wife, children and congregation. How do these men stand in front of their pulpits week after week, year after year knowing they don't practice what they preach and how many more of them are there? These people are in positions of trust and their congregations rely on them to be honest. Yet they act as if they're paragons of virtue while denying who they really are and then go through this ridiculous so-called 'restoration' process so they can continue to believe that homosexuality is a sin while trying to get some of their integrity back. If they actually had any integrity, they'd admit that being gay is not a sin and get on with their lives.
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