Colorado Megachurch Fires Worship Artist Over Alleged Extramarital Affair
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Megachurch New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has fired its worship leader over an alleged extramarital relationship—the second time he’s reportedly been let go from a church for moral reasons.
New Life Church Executive Pastor Brian Newberg told Charisma News in an email that Rozier, a former Vertical Worship band member and song writer, was “immediately terminated after we learned of his relationship with a woman from another city.”
Rozier had worked at New Life for more than a year and was part of the megachurch’s band, New Life Worship. Prior to that, Rozier served as the worship pastor at Chicago’s Harvest Bible Chapel in the Chicago area.
“We have already engaged in a communication process with our church,” Newberg said in his email. “Our staff was communicated to last week and our congregation was communicated to in-person at our weekend services.”
Newberg added that the church is “walking alongside [Rozier’s] wife and children to help them heal. Andi is no longer a part of our pastoral team.”
In the early stages of his employment at Harvest, the church removed him from ministry for “moral reasons” before being reinstated following counseling, discipleship and confession, former Harvest Bible Chapel Pastor James MacDonald told “The Roys Report.”
As a member of Vertical Worship, Rozier was featured on several of the band’s albums.
“It was discovered he had been in a sexual relationship with a young woman,” Josh Caterer, a former Harvest worship leader, told “The Roys Report.” Caterer said Rozier was subject to church discipline in 2002.
Rozier served as a worship pastor for nearly two decades at Harvest Bible Chapel in the Chicago area and was a member of its worship band, Vertical Worship, according to The Roy’s Report.
In the early stages of Rozier’s service at Harvest, the church removed him from ministry for moral reasons before being reinstated after counseling, discipleship and confession, former Harvest Bible Chapel Pastor James MacDonald told The Roys Report. Rozier was featured on several Vertical Worship albums.
“It was discovered he had been in a sexual relationship with a young woman,” Josh Caterer, a former Harvest worship leader, told The Roys Report, adding that he was subject to church discipline in 2002.
It’s the second time in the last 16 years New Life Church has faced pastor controversy.
Former New Life pastor Ted Haggard was forced to resign after confessing to sexual immorality with a male escort in 2006 in a scandal that also involved illicit drug use.
Charisma News reached out to New Life Church for comment from the church and for contact information for Rozier and is awaiting a reply. {eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
