Saddleback Church to launch new 'signature' ministry to help persecuted Christians around the world

Lake Forest, CA: November 10, 2009, (PCTV Newsdesk)

Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America’s largest congregations and author of the huge-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” has pledged to throw his support behind persecuted Christians around the world.

Warren made the surprise announcement Sunday, Nov. 8, when hosting the “Saddleback Civil Forum on the Persecuted Church,” the fifth in a series of civil forums.

Michael Cromartie, vice-president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Dr. Carl Moeller, president and chief executive officer Open Doors USA and Pastor Dishan Wickramaratne, from Sri Lanka, came together to discuss the struggle for religious freedom and the persecution that afflicts millions across the globe.

Warren interviewed each of the guests individually and then held a round-table discussion with the group. He turned to the congregation and told them Saddleback would start a new “signature” ministry to help persecuted Christians. Saddleback already has three other “signature” ministries -- Celebrate Recovery, helping orphans and also ministering to those with HIV/AIDS.

Warren began the event by telling his audience the shocking truth that tens of thousands of Christians were killed for their faith last year. At the conclusion of the forum, he announced, “Tonight we will begin a new ‘signature’ ministry for the persecuted church, so we can keep this on the front burner.

“We want this to become an ongoing thing here at the church, because the Bible tells us that we should pray for those in chains, we should pray for the persecuted and pray for those in prison,” he said. “We are to remember those who are suffering.

“There are four things you can do,” he told his church members. “You can pray, speak up, give and you can serve.”

Warren asked members of his congregation to commit to pray specifically for a country where the “persecuted church exists.”

Then all the church members at the event formed small groups to pray for persecuted Christians.

Warren said, “More than one half of the world’s population lives in places that severely restrict or prohibit the freedom to practice one’s religious beliefs. Today, as we observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, we are reminded that the Church of Jesus Christ is still suffering across the globe, and that our prayers and our love are essential to our brothers and sisters who suffer that persecution.”

After the event, I talked with Dr Carl Moeller, who worked as a singles pastor at Saddleback from 2000 to 2003. I asked him for his response to Rick Warren’s announcement.

“I was amazed and humbled that such a prominent church leader -- really one of the most significant church leaders around the world today, Rick Warren – wanted to champion the cause of the persecuted church around the world.

“This is a man who could call any head of state anywhere in the world and meet with them tomorrow if he wanted to. Yet he chooses to honor the lowest and the least – the humble pastors of the persecuted church. That stands out for me as the signature moment of the night.

“Rick has always had a heart for the persecuted church. He's expressed it to me on a number of occasions. In many ways, I think tonight is the natural extension of that heart. By engaging Saddleback Church, Rick is just fulfilling what God has laid on his heart.”

I then talked with Michael Cromartie, who was appointed in 2004 by President George W. Bush to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, who explained, “The purpose of the commission is to monitor, evaluate and highlight religious persecution and the lack of religious liberty around the globe. I’ve seen the difficult situations many believers are in because of the regimes they live under.”

“The real issue is that religious freedom is a human right. It's the first freedom, and when it's honored, all other freedoms seem to come into play.”

I then asked him if he had seen any improvement in persecution, and he said, “Well, governments still want to control, and they force churches to register with them so they can monitor all meetings. Christianity is growing, and when they grow in these places, what ends up happening is that you get more persecution.”

I then asked him what the biggest lesson was he learned from meeting persecuted believers.

“The thing that I've been most personally touched by is the courage and the deep faith they have, because they live in life and death situations. They are people who are focused on eternity. They’re not afraid to die. I've learned to have great respect and admiration for these believers.”

I finally talked with Pastor Dishan Wickramaratne of the People's Church of Colombo, Sri Lanka, one of the biggest churches in the country.

He told the audience, “You may not be called upon to die for your faith, but you can certainly live it.”

Pastor Dishan said that his family had once had their lives threatened, but decided to trust God and continue to minister.

“We lived to see a great revival from less than a hundred people to many hundreds of people come to the Lord. God protected us, and we are still alive.”

I then asked him about persecution in Sri Lanka, and asked him if it came from Buddhists.

“It’s not all Buddhists; it's extremists. In Sri Lanka, this extremist is in it for political gain and their own gain. The priests who lead it are not the real priests, because even amongst the Buddhists there's a lot of criticism of these. But it still rouses the mobs.”

Showing the love of Christ, he then explained that when the tsunami of 2004 hit, his church reached out and gave help to some of the Buddhist temples where some of their people had burnt down churches.

“The priest there said, ‘You guys are the only ones who came to help us, and we are the ones who attacked you and burned your churches down.”

Finally, I asked him what he thought about the Civil Forum event.

“I've never been in anything like this,” he said. “Many people here have told me, ‘We never knew persecution is really happening there.’” It's good for the body of Christ to know what believers are really going through.”

The Saddleback Civil Forums were established to promote civil discourse and the common good of all. The Saddleback Civil Forum on the Persecuted Church was the fifth such event hosted by Saddleback Church, following the Saddleback Civil Forum on Reconciliation in September of 2009; the Saddleback Civil Forum on Holocaust Survivors in April 2008; the Saddleback Civil Forum on The Presidency, featuring presumptive presidential nominees Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain discussing issues of leadership, held in August 2008; and the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health honoring President George W. Bush with the first “International Medal of PEACE, ” held on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2008.

Founded in 1980 by the Warren and his wife Kay, Saddleback Church is located in Lake Forest, Calif. With an average weekly attendance of 22,000, it is one of the largest churches in America. For additional information about the Saddleback Civil Forums, visit www.SaddlebackCivilForum.com. 

News source: http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09110047.htm