Ted Haggard's Reconciliation Efforts
(December 5-13, 1995)

On the evening of December 2nd, Ted Haggard, pastor of a 5,000 member church in Colorado and a leader of the AD 2000 prayer movement, felt an urgent impression of the Lord to visit immediately what was then known as the Toronto Airport Vineyard. In obedience, he arrived Tuesday, December 5th, at his own expense, but questioned the Lord, wondering what his purpose was in being there. He learned the following day that the Airport Vineyard had been disengaged from the Association of Vineyard Churches and immediately realized that God had brought him at a strategic time to mediate reconciliation efforts.

John Arnott had already departed for a pre-scheduled conference in Seattle. However, feeling strongly that God had assigned him the task of mediating, Haggard flew, again at his own expense, to Seattle to meet with Arnott. The meeting lasted eight hours. Subsequently Haggard visited Anaheim where he enlisted the help of pastor Jack Hayford. They tried to meet with John Wimber, Todd Hunter and others representing the AVC. In the following letters Ted Haggard summarizes the outcome of his communication efforts with the AVC and John Wimber.

December 13, 1995

A summary of the outcome of reconciliation efforts.
Issued by: Ted Haggard
To Todd Hunter, AVC

Dear Todd:

I am sorry that this letter comes to you after time for your discussions rather than before. But after our conversation on the phone between 11 p.m. and 12 midnight on Saturday night, the 9th [of December], I knew that you had adequate material and fresh ideas to avert the severance between the Vineyard at large and the Toronto Airport Vineyard if you wanted to. I thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me on Saturday afternoon. Here are the ideas that I read to you on the phone. Since I don't know much about any developments since Saturday night, I don't know if they were helpful or not. But, if these ideas haven't been of assistance in this conflict, maybe they include a seed that might be helpful in future years.

This is the text that I read to you and that you wanted forwarded to your office:

On Saturday morning, December 9th, John Wimber asked the national co-ordinator of the Vineyard, Todd Hunter, to review the developments of the previous week in regard to the Toronto Airport Vineyard, and gave him the authority to make any modifications that he felt were necessary. As a result, Todd Hunter made some substantial modifications, noting that they were interim decisions until time allowed for the Vineyard board to approve the following recommendations:

1. The status of the Toronto Airport Vineyard would be put under review until an improved process is prepared for implementation.(This is the wording change that you requested after I spoke with John Arnott and he spoke with John Wimber before you had a chance to brief Wimber.)I still maintain, though, that the discussion that we had was correct in that the Toronto Airport Vineyard could easily be given a few weeks left "in the Vineyard" to give you enough time to develop a specific process to deal with them. I think they will always be able to honestly say that your office sent double signals and was not clear in its communication. After our meeting I read Wimber's endorsement of Arnott's book. Now I understand that Wimber didn't read the manuscript but Arnott didn't know that. That, plus many other things leaves your office open to accusation of injustice and lack of due process. You just can't spank your children until they thoroughly understand what they are doing wrong and what the punishment will be if they continue.

2. The Vineyard desires to construct a process that can be utilized when unusual spiritual phenomena consistently take place in a local church or when the spiritual phenomena develop into a potential movement within Vineyard churches. This process is to be both creative and redemptive, and one that can be utilized in future instances of unusual spiritual phenomena as well as this current outpouring commonly referred to a the "Toronto Blessing".

3. The Vineyard hopes that this newly created process will be a first step toward reversing the historical trend in the groups of churches of the seeming necessity to break fellowship with portions of the church that claim to be experiencing a supernatural outpouring of God's Spirit. The Vineyard hopes to establish a model that can be used by other denominations and groups of churches that will facilitate greater unity and effectiveness for the cause of Christ.

4. This new process is not intended to be a process for addressing blatant sin within the Body. The Vineyard does not intend to imply that this new process is designed to minister to those accused of sexual immorality, heresy, financial dishonesty, or any other sin that requires a direct, swift response. Instead, this process is designed exclusively for providing a course of action in the midst of questionable spiritual activity.

5. This process will not only establish a well-understood procedure and provide the seed for a new model of denominational response, but will also accommodate those in leadership who have strong convictions that question the integrity of the spiritual activity, and those in the midst of the activity that believe that God is providing a refreshing and biblical outpouring.

6. This new process will allow the Vineyard to classify any questionable churches into one of four categories, and each of the categories will have its own procedure. The comments below intentionally include few definitions or procedures. Those must be developed. Instead, these comments are only for the purpose of providing a starting point:

• Probationary status: A process that provides a period of 30-60 months where the church or movement is given time to develop, answer for itself, and have a unique oversight arrangement that provides independence and distance for the denominational oversight group.
• Birthing status:(Multiplication) A process that enables the friendly birthing of a new, independent church or movement.
• Disciplinary status:(Split) A process that facilitates the dissolution of the relationship.It will provide procedure for both groups that will allow them to go in separate directions.
• Associate status:(A friend of the Vineyard) A procedure that would establish the new movement as an independent movement still associated with the mother church, similar to the way Roman Catholics develop orders.

7. The details of each status will be developed within the next few weeks by a panel of five men. Those invited will include:

• Todd Hunter, national co-ordinator for the Vineyard, representing the denominational concerns like those developed in the current situation between the Vineyard and the Toronto Airport Vineyard.
• Steve Long or maybe Fred Wright from the Toronto Airport Vineyard, representing those in the midst of unusual renewal and the views of groups that in the past have had to become independent.
• Paul Cedar, president of the Evangelical Free Church. Paul is not only a mainstream, globally respected leader of the evangelical movement, but is also very aware of the dynamic culture of the groups that believe in the modern day operation of the gifts of the Spirit. He is also overseer of many churches and an excellent administrator. He leads Mission America 2000, is involved with the National Association of Evangelicals as well as the 2000 Movement. 
•  John Holland, president of the Foursquare Church. John is a very thoughtful Pentecostal from a denomination that has made decisions that have been very good and very bad. Since his group has matured over the years, Jon's insight into the issues that spark life, and those that have contributed to "dead churches", is profound.
• Ted Haggard, moderator.

I am confident that these five could design a model policy in just two or three days that would be useful to many. I recommend that if you, John Wimber and the board of the Vineyard are interested in this idea, that a meeting be arranged of this or any other improved delegation with the authority to draft a suggested policy.

Todd, it's been a pleasure having this little window to get to meet you. Thanks again for taking time to met with me on Saturday night. To close my involvement with the Toronto Vineyard development, I'll write a thank you letter to both John Arnott and John Wimber thanking them for the role they played during the week I tried to facilitate reconciliation. In addition, I'll write a confidential analysis letter to Jack Hayford. Then I'll be done unless requested.

God bless you brother. I know you carry some awesome responsibilities and that God will give you grace as you faithfully serve and fear Him.

In Christ,
Ted Haggard

December 13, 1995

An Evaluation Of Reconciliation Efforts
Issued By: Ted Haggard

To John Arnott
     John Wimber

Dear Gentlemen:

I just wanted to write the two of you a note thanking you for taking the time to talk with me in my attempt to encourage the development of a system that would have provided a model for denominations to use when the type of situation develops that the two of you are facing. From the latest report that I have received, my efforts were not successful. I do hope, though, that even though they were unsuccessful with the two of you, that sometime in our lifetime we will find opportunity for the model to be established so that denominations don't have to sever themselves from fellow Christians who are experiencing unusual spiritual phenomena. I realize that both of your schedules are pressing because of the Lord's gracious blessing on your lives, so I wanted to express a warm "thank you" for hearing me.

John Arnott: Thank you for the hours we spent together talking about historical trends and how powerful it would be if the Vineyard would validate for the world that denominations can develop those experiencing "revival" in an honourable way. Thank you for your humility and willingness to be flexible and submissive if the discussions would have ever gotten that far. In addition, thank you for taking the time where you were scheduled to be the primary speaker at several events so that we could work together. Your honourable, respectful, and submissive attitude toward the Vineyard was impressive. But most of all, I thank you for your broken heart. I know that the Lord will bless you for trying so desperately to hear and change, if necessary, to maintain relationships. And lastly, thank you for becoming a better listener during our time together.

John Wimber: Thank you for taking the time to call on Friday night and then again on Saturday morning. I appreciate your schedule and your authority, so I was especially appreciative when you were willing to take the time to talk with Jack Hayford and to encourage Todd Hunter to meet with me. As you probably know, we had a very good meeting together at the airport for one hour on Saturday afternoon. I was especially moved when you said that nothing had been done with the Toronto Airport Vineyard that could not be undone. I also appreciated you honesty in saying that you were "finished" and "tired".

I know that neither of you knew me prior to last week, which makes me especially grateful that you would even talk with me. To interject myself into your struggle was very awkward for me and certainly not my style, but I was and continue to be absolutely convinced that God wanted to give us all a very unusual miracle that would have been a great blessing to the portion of the Body of Christ that is within our influence.

Again, thank you so much for trying.

In Christ,
Ted
cc: Jack Hayford

December 13, 1995

An Evaluation Of Reconciliation Efforts
Issued By: Ted Haggard
To Jack Hayford

Dear Pastor Jack:

As my role in the Vineyard conflict is complete, I will be sending you copies of the final correspondence that is being faxed to the leadership today. In addition, I wanted to let you know that the material that was in the December 8th fax to you is no longer considered confidential. Should you decide that it would be helpful to anyone, you are free to use it. I no longer believe that the material in that fax should be modified. I think it is and was accurate as written. As a matter of fact, I think it might be good for John Wimber to see that letter. To my knowledge, he still has no idea what we were trying to do.

Finally, within the next week or so I'll send you a couple of pages with my conclusions. Thank you so much for your gracious participation with me on this attempt. As far as I know, I failed at communicating an acceptable course of action to the Vineyard in time.

God bless you. I’ll communicate later.

In Christ,
Ted
cc: John Arnott