50 Top 10 Lists of 2007

Top 10 Religion Stories

#8. The Trials of New Life Church

God is testing New Life Church. Last year, the founder and pastor of the Colorado Springs megachurch, Ted Haggard, admitted to "sexual immorality" and resigned after a gay escort accused him of paying for sex and drugs. New Life's membership sank from 15,000 to 10,000. Last August, the church finally named named a new pastor, Rev. Brady Boyd, who might have hoped for a period of normalcy in his parish. But this month, almost exactly a year after Haggard's ignominious downfall, a heavily armed gunman charged New Life, murdering two young sisters in the church parking lot before being shot and killed by a volunteer security guard. Said Boyd, "This is a very strong church. It has a history of surviving trauma. It will be okay."

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