Disgraced US evangelist completes therapy

DENVER, Feb 7 (Reuters) After undergoing three weeks of therapy, disgraced US evangelist Ted Haggard is convinced he is not gay, an official with the ex-preacher's church told the Denver Post.

Haggard, former senior pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church, was a vocal opponent of gay marriage who fell from grace last November in a high-profile gay sex scandal.

In an e-mail distributed to his parishioners and posted on the New Life Web site yesterday, Haggard said, ''Jesus is starting to put me back together.'' Haggard also said he and his wife would leave Colorado and study psychology.

Referring to Haggard's treatment, the Rev. Tim Ralph, a member of the New Life oversight board, told the Denver Post: ''He is completely heterosexual. That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn't a constant thing.'' The newspaper also reported that he had told the church oversight board that his homosexual activities had been limited to the male prostitute who went public with their liaisons.

Haggard resigned as president of the influential National Association of Evangelicals after the male escort made his accusation.

He also left his senior pastor position and said he was guilty of unspecified ''sexual immorality.'' Members of the oversight board and officials from New Life Church could not be immediately reached for comment.

In his e-mail, Haggard discussed his recent therapy and outlined his future plans.

''As part of New Life's efforts to help me, they sent Gayle and me to Phoenix for a three-week psychological intensive that gave us three years worth of analysis and treatment,'' he said.

''Gayle and I have decided to move from Colorado Springs to go back to school. ... We are both planning on getting our master's in psychology so we can work together serving others the rest of our lives.'' With his chiseled features, wide smile and five children, Haggard had been a poster boy for social conservative causes and the evangelical movement before the scandal.

REUTERS RL VV0918