Agence France-Presse:
A powerful US religious leader at the centre of gay sex and drugs allegations has been dismissed from his church after an internal investigation found he was guilty of sexual misconduct.
A statement released by the New Life Church following an inquiry into the lurid accusations surrounding Pastor Ted Haggard said it had been "proven without a doubt" the churchman had "committed sexually immoral conduct."
Haggard, who had stepped down from his post at the church and as leader of the powerful National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) earlier this week, on Friday admitted to buying drugs and having a massage from a male prostitute.
But the 50-year-old married father of five has steadfastly denied he had ever had sex with his accuser, Mike Jones, who claimed the religious leader had regularly paid for sex with him over a three-year period.
The New Life Church's overseer board said in a statement it was satisfied Haggard -- a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage who has close links to the White House -- was guilty of sexual misconduct.
"In consultation with leading evangelicals and experts familiar with the type of behaviour Pastor Haggard has demonstrated, we have decided that the most positive and productive direction for our church is his dismissal and removal," the statement said.
Haggard and his wife had been informed of the dismissal and were in agreement with the decision, the statement added.
Tags: news politics religious right scandal crime Ted Haggard
