Saddleback Church

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Southern Baptists Reject Pleas, Expel Churches Led by Women

Rick Warren, female pastor fail to move convention

(Newser) - Pleas from pastors whose churches are being expelled because they're led by women failed to persuade Southern Baptists to reverse their decision. Delegates made the expulsions from the denomination final at their annual convention in New Orleans, the New York Times reports, despite emotional speeches from the leaders of...

Southern Baptists Expel Saddleback Church

Megachurch voted out for having female pastor

(Newser) - The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday ousted its second-largest congregation—Saddleback Church, the renowned California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren—for having a woman pastor. The vote by the convention's Executive Committee culminates growing tension between the nation's largest Protestant denomination— which officially opposes...

Evangelist Rick Warren to Retire as Saddleback Pastor

Health issues make preaching six times per Sunday difficult

(Newser) - Rick Warren, California megachurch founder, author of the bestselling The Purpose Driven Life, and one of the most prominent evangelical Christian leaders in the nation, has announced his retirement. Saddleback Church will begin looking for his successor this week, Warren told the congregation Sunday, the Orange County Register reports. Warren...

The Latest Diet Trend Comes From ...God

The "Daniel Fast" involves sticking to fruits, veggies, whole grains

(Newser) - Most of America's most obese metropolitan areas are in the Bible belt, and a study points to a higher risk of future obesity among church-going young people. But Christians may also have an advantage in reaching their dietary goals—one that comes straight from heaven. "I probably couldn’...

Rick Warren: Son Shot Self With 'Unregistered Gun'

Serial number rubbed off: sheriff's rep

(Newser) - Rick Warren's son committed suicide using an unregistered gun, the pastor said in a tweet yesterday. "Someone on the Internet sold Matthew an unregistered gun. I pray he seeks God's forgiveness. I forgive him," the pastor tweeted . An Orange County sheriff's rep says the gun'...

After Son's Suicide, Rick Warren 'Overwhelmed' by Support

Matthew shot himself Friday morning: report

(Newser) - Rick Warren's Saddleback megachurch is grappling with the aftermath of his son Matthew's apparent suicide , with the pastor taking to Twitter and Facebook to thank followers for their support, the AP reports. Wife "Kay and I are overwhelmed by your love, prayers, and kind words," he...

Rick Warren's Plea Rakes In $2.4M

Saddleback pastor sought $900K from parishioners to bridge budget gap

(Newser) - Evangelical pastor Rick Warren's plea for donations to fill a $900,000 deficit at his Southern California megachurch brought in $2.4 million, Warren announced to cheers at the church yesterday. Warren said the amount raised after the appeal was posted online Wednesday included only money parishioners brought in person...

Rick Warren Asks Followers for $900K, Pronto

Unexpected deficit sparks 'urgent' call for donations by tomorrow

(Newser) - Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church has hit a major fundraising speedbump and has asked members to help out with almost $1 million by tomorrow. Warren described the situation yesterday in an “urgent letter unlike any I've written in 30 years.” Last weekend, “our total offerings were less...

Warren Cancels ABC Interview at Last Minute

Pastor had been slated to clarify position on gay marriage

(Newser) - Rick Warren, who had been expected to explain contradicting statements about gay marriage today on ABC's This Week, backed out at the last minute because he was “sick with exhaustion,” Politico reports. The prominent evangelical pastor was to clarify the difference between his claims last week that he...

I'm Anti-Gay Marriage, Not Anti-Gay: Warren

Controversial pastor aims to dampen criticism, civilize discourse

(Newser) - Rick Warren continues to refine his stance on gays and gay marriage, saying he is “not opposed to gays having their partnership,” and that his anti-gay marriage stance doesn’t make him anti-gay, the AP reports. “I’m opposed to gays using the term marriage for their...

Warren Deletes Anti-Gay Note, Cites 'Christ-o-phobia'

(Newser) - Rick Warren—whose upcoming invocation at the Obama inauguration is causing a ruckus—has removed anti-gay language from the website of his Saddleback Church, Queerty reports. A page that explicitly barred gays from membership has suddenly gone missing, along with some Catholic bashing and a defense of dinosaurs in the...

Warren to Keynote MLK Service

One day before controversial inauguration address

(Newser) - Just a day before he makes his appearance at Barack Obama’s inauguration, Rick Warren will give the keynote address at the annual Martin Luther King Jr memorial service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, King's former home in Atlanta, the OC Register reports. While Obama has taken heat from gay marriage...

Pastor Warren: Some of My Best Friends Are Gay

But has compared gay marriage to incest, polygamy, child abuse

(Newser) - Pastor Rick Warren "loves gays and straights," he said yesterday, in response to the uproar  his invitation to Barack Obama's inaugural invocation sparked among gay rights groups. In a speech to the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Warren emphasized that he has "many gay friends" and has "...

The Real Loser at the Pastor Rick-Quisition: America

Warrren's examination of candidates' faith was absolutely un-American

(Newser) - Discussion of whether John McCain or Barack Obama "won" Saturday’s Saddleback inquisition misses the point, Kathleen Parker writes in the Washington Post. When the presidential candidates are publicly interrogated on their beliefs by a minister, even one as exemplary as Rick Warren, the only winner is the minister—...

Go Figure: Candidates Differ Wildly on What 'Rich' Means

Answers match personal wealth, tax proposals

(Newser) - If there was a "gotcha" question in Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren's interviews with the presidential candidates Saturday, it was asking them each to take a shot at defining "rich."  Barack Obama said people making more than $250,000 per year. John McCain went with $5 million—...

McCain Cries Foul Over NBC Coverage
McCain Cries Foul Over NBC Coverage
Aug 18, 2008 10:20 AM CDT

McCain Cries Foul Over NBC Coverage

Reporter questioned whether forum 'cone of silence' was breached

(Newser) - The McCain camp has fired off a stern letter to NBC objecting to coverage of the weekend's Rick Warren forum, after Andrea Mitchell reported speculation the Republican might have had access to the questions he was asked ahead of time. Commentators wondered if the "cone of silence" designed to...

Candidates Score in Pastor Rick-a-thon
 Candidates Score
 in Pastor Rick-a-thon
OPINION
Aug 17, 2008 12:43 PM CDT

Candidates Score in Pastor Rick-a-thon

Even in a non-debate, pundits still find a way to label somebody a winner

(Newser) - Pastor Rick stressed that last night's Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency wasn't a debate, but that won't stop the pundits from deciding who came out ahead:
  • Byron York, of the National Review, sees the night as a big win for McCain, who's had a "much bigger life."
...

Megapastor Aims to Save Not Only Souls, but Lives

Critics blast megapastor's worldwide efforts as more hype

(Newser) - Megapastor Rick Warren, he of The Purpose Driven Life, has moved from organizing churches to save souls to organizing churches to save lives, Time reports. At the forefront of the new wave of Evangelicals, the hyper-energetic Warren launched a worldwide initiative, called PEACE, to use churches to fight poverty and...

McCain, Obama to Share Megachurch Stage

Warren lures both candidates to Orange County

(Newser) - Influential evangelical pastor Rick Warren has scored the first joint appearance by Barack Obama and John McCain. The presidential candidates will spend just a few minutes on stage together at Warren's Saddleback Church next month between back-to-back interviews with the pastor. It will be the country’s first look at...

19 Stories