Former megachurch pastor and evangelical leader Ted Haggard has acknowledged that he has “sinned” and expressed remorse for the scandal that enveloped him two years ago and how it affected his family.

ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired a segment Wednesday (Nov. 12) that featured audio quotes from a sermon Haggard gave at Open Bible Fellowship Church in Morrison, Ill.

“The first thing I want you to know is I sinned,” Haggard said. “I really did sin. And I’m very, very sorry that I sinned.”

Haggard was dismissed from New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., in November 2006. He said he bought methamphetamine and paid a Denver male escort for massages. ABC News.com reported that Haggard did not discuss the specifics of his sin but said some allegations against him from the escort were exaggerated.

Haggard, who also resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals at the time the scandal arose, was particularly remorseful about the effect the scandal had on his family.

“My wife – all my sin and shame fell on her. People treated her as if she had fallen,” he said. “And my children – they all went through carrying my shame.”

Haggard said the scandal may have been related to a sexual incident with a man when he was 7 years old. He also said he was suicidal after dealing with the scandal but now feels transformed with the assistance of God and his wife.

Haggard told ABC News he has started an insurance company.