![]() Warren, in an emotional email to the congregation of his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., shared his son Matthew's struggles and asked for prayers. He gained attention that year with his invocation at President Barack Obama’s inauguration that year and comments he made in the aftermath of California’s Proposition 8, which overturned gay marriage. Ap- Megachurch Pastor Rick Warren said Saturday that his 27-year-old son had commited suicide after a lifelong battle with mental illness. He has spent his nights journaling, trying to discern Gods purpose in the pain that Matthew endured over his 27 years living with mental illness, and in the loss Warren and his wife. Warren was named the top newsmaker of the year for 2009 by the Religion Newswriters Association. Every day since his son Matthew died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound nearly a year ago, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church has found himself in tears. ![]() The church says it now offers more than 200 community ministries and support groups for parents, families, children, couples, prisoners, addicts, and people living with HIV, depression and other illnesses. Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney had been invited to a similar forum last fall, but Warren canceled it, saying the campaign had become too uncivil.Īs Saddleback has grown over the years, it has spread out from its Lake Forest headquarters, 65 miles southeast of Los Angeles, adding several other campuses and ministries around Southern California. In 2008, the church sponsored a presidential forum with Obama and Republican Sen. He and his wife, Kay, began by holding Bible studies for people who weren’t regular churchgoers. ![]() – Rappler.The elder Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980, according to his biography on the church website, and over the years watched it grow to 20,000 members. In the 2008 election he hosted a forum for presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, before later giving the invocation at Obama’s inauguration in January 2009. He gained global fame for his bestselling book “The Purpose Driven Life.”Īround 20,000 people attend the church every week, while Warren has a high national profile in the United States. Matthew Warren committed suicide after dealing with. Rick Warren, 59, founded the Saddleback megachurch in Lake Forest, roughly 47 miles (76 kilometers) south of Los Angeles, in 1980. The 27-year-old son of noted evangelical pastor Rick Warren has died, Warren’s church said Saturday. “In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided.” Sadly, his eldest struggled with mental health issues, and in 2013, Rick Warrens son took his own life. They had three children together: Matthew, Amy and Josh. “Only those closest knew that he struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts,” Warren wrote. Kay and Richard shared their vows on 21 June, 1975. In a letter to Saddleback staff from Rick Warren, which was released by the church, the pastor said his son had taken his life after suffering “a momentary wave of despair at his home.” The statement paid tribute to Matthew Warren as “an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many.” And God says he wants you to act similarly toward everybody in your life. Kay Warren, wife of pastor Rick Warren spoke about her son Matthew Warren's suicide and the years of struggling with his mental illness at her office in Ranch Santa Margarita on Tuesday. Matthew Warren, 27, died on Friday following years of battling depression, a statement from the Saddleback Valley Community Church said. LOS ANGELES, USA – The youngest son of prominent US evangelical preacher Rick Warren has committed suicide after a long struggle with mental illness, the pastor’s church said Saturday, April 6.
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