Church: Pastor Rick Warren's son commits suicide
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| This undated photo provided by the Saddleback Valley Community Church shows Matthew Warren, the son of Pastor Rick Warren. Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., said in a statement Saturday, April 6, 2013, that Warren's 27-year-old son, Matthew Warren, has committed suicide after struggling with mental illness and deep depression. |
LAKE FOREST,
Calif. (AP) -- The Southern California church headed by popular
evangelical Pastor Rick Warren announced Saturday that Warren's
27-year-old son has committed suicide.
Warren's
Saddleback Valley Community Church said in a statement that Matthew
Warren had struggled with mental illness and deep depression throughout
his life.
"Matthew was an incredibly kind,
gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement
and comfort to many," the statement said.
"Unfortunately,
he also suffered from mental illness resulting in deep depression and
suicidal thoughts. Despite the best health care available, this was an
illness that was never fully controlled and the emotional pain resulted
in his decision to take his life."
Warren, the
author of the multimillion-selling book "The Purpose Driven Life," said
in an email to church staff that he and his wife had enjoyed a fun
Friday evening with their son before Matthew Warren returned home to
take his life in "a momentary wave of despair."
Church spokeswoman Kristin Cole said he died Friday night.
Over
the years, Matthew Warren had been treated by America s best doctors,
had received counseling and medication and been the recipient of
numerous prayers from others, his father said.
Still, he struggled over the years.
"I'll
never forget how, many years ago, after another approach had failed to
give relief, Matthew said `Dad, I know I'm going to heaven. Why can't I
just die and end this pain?'" Warren recalled.
Despite that, he said, his son lived for another decade, during which he often reached out to help others.
"You
who watched Matthew grow up knew he was an incredibly kind, gentle, and
compassionate man," Warren wrote. "He had a brilliant intellect and a
gift for sensing who was most in pain or most uncomfortable in a room.
He'd then make a bee-line to that person to engage and encourage them."
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. He and his wife, Kay, began by holding Bible studies for
people who weren't regular churchgoers.
In
2008, the church sponsored a presidential forum with Obama and
Republican Sen. John McCain. 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.
As
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.
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.
Warren
was named the top newsmaker of the year for 2009 by the Religion
Newswriters Association. 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.
