`The Nation is Watching’ Pastor’s Trial By Fire

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. _ The Rev. Brady Boyd said when he was hired to lead New Life Church that he didn’t want to be in the spotlight.

Church members were publicity-weary after years of founding pastor Ted Haggard’s political power-brokering and his public fall from grace 13 months ago because of a homosexual relationship with a Denver prostitute.

In the 14 weeks since Boyd took the reins of the church, he has said that the biggest crisis for him was choosing the color of new carpet at the church and building the children’s ministry.

That changed in a barrage of gunfire Sunday that left two of his young churchgoers and a gunman dead.

Suddenly, media from around the country were camped on his doorstep, and he was being interviewed by CNN’s Larry King. And from every direction, shocked and hurting members of his flock needed ministering.

“This is a test of fire in his pastoral leadership, and the nation is watching,” said the Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals. “While it is sad and tragic, he is aptly demonstrating his faithfulness to God and the experience of God’s grace in the midst of tragedy.”

Anderson sent Boyd a message assuring him that he would receive the prayers and support of the 45,000 churches in the organization. “We have confidence in him and the church to weather this storm and be victorious in the midst of calamity,” Anderson said.

Others have been struck by the ability of the 40-year-old pastor to navigate his way from news conference to victim’s bedside to the boardroom to make decisions on myriad immediate concerns, including canceling the church’s popular and lucrative Christmas season extravaganza.

Within hours of the shooting, Boyd’s overseers _ pastors who give outside counsel to him and the church _ had flown into town.

Among them was his former boss, the Rev. Robert Morris of the 12,000-member Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, where Boyd was a senior pastor before coming here.

“It is terrible to have to lead through such tragedy,” Morris said. “But I wasn’t surprised at all how he has handled it. I saw a tremendous leadership gift in him.”

He noted that Boyd’s spirituality, character and integrity, combined with a degree in journalism and good communications skills, have made him an invaluable shepherd. Boyd, besides leading churches, was a radio announcer and managed radio stations.

Boyd is “grief-stricken,” Morris said, “but knows God’s grace is sufficient to help heal again.”

Morris said he told Boyd “everything the devil does to stop the voice of church backfires.” Boyd, Morris and staff members spent more than an hour in prayer together Monday.

The Rev. Mike Ware, pastor of Victory Church in Westminster and a New Life overseer for 20 years, said he was with Boyd when he went to visit Marie Works on Sunday night in the hospital where her daughter Rachael died. Another daughter, Stephanie, was killed in the church parking lot, and Marie Works’ husband was wounded.

“Pastor Brady had tears and was weeping with the family,” Ware said. “He grabbed her hand but couldn’t form words because he was so broken. He told her that he was so sorry in his heart that be could not protect them.

“That’s the heart of a shepherd.”

Church members gave similar assessments of their new pastor.

Bob Stayton, a New Life member for 12 years, said Boyd has handled things well.

“Can you picture this situation with someone else who would be seeking glory. … He has handled it beautifully. He’s a credit to the Lord,” he said.

Renae Yenter, who leads a small group at New Life that meets to do scrapbook crafts and pray, said Boyd has been a breath of fresh air in the midst of the pain.

“I’m very impressed how he handled things, and watching him with the security guard on TV, I was especially touched by how he was like a protective father with her and the others,” Yenter said.

Even professional crisis coaches have been impressed.

Chris Forbes of Ministrymarketingcoach.com in Oklahoma teaches ministers how to handle adversity. He said Boyd is doing it exactly right.

“Besides giving counsel for those in shock, a pastor has to be redemptive and focus on the greater spiritual issues,” Forbes said.

Jack E. Buttram of Greenville, S.C., has a public affairs company that works with churches to prepare for and prevent crises. He watched Boyd on CNN.

“He was nervous but very believable and sincere,” Buttram said. “You can tell it was real. If someone is over-rehearsed and not speaking from the heart, you can tell.”

Buttram noted New Life had a good emergency plan in place _ something that many churches do not have.

“The idea is that you can’t plan for a crisis in the middle of a crisis,” Buttram said. “You have to do the preliminary work and they have done that.”

Anderson of the NAE agreed. He noted that many large churches must deal with security problems and that his organization has gotten many calls about that since the New Life event.

“New Life is setting an example, as they did with the Haggard situation,” Anderson said. “Boyd is handling it wonderfully.”

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(c) 2007, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

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