Community Corner

Pastor's Alleged Connection to Muslims Sparks Controversy

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, says that a recently-published Orange County Register article contains errors.

An article detailing an alleged plan by Rick Warren, pastor of in Lake Forest, to "build [a] bridge" to the Muslim community has caused a virtual uproar.

Reporter Jim Hinch wrote in a recently-published article for the Orange County Register that Warren "has embarked on an effort to heal divisions between evangelical Christians and Muslims by partnering with Southern California mosques and proposing a set of theological principles that includes acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God."

A few online commenters applauded Warren's reported efforts to connect Muslims with Christians, while many others derided the thought of the evangelical pastor leading such an outreach.

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Warren, who declined to comment for the news article, left a statement after its publication in the comments section: "I deeply love my Muslim neighbors but this article contains multiple errors - factually and theologically that neither our dear friends in the Muslim Community nor the Christians at Saddleback Church would agree with."

However, he did not elaborate on any such errors, even after other commenters called on him to do so.

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Article author Jim Hinch chimed in in response to Warren's assertion.

"I'm sorry Rev. Warren feels the story contains errors but the story was based on interviews and documents and it was thoroughly fact-checked," Hinch said. "I discussed all of its major points with Tom Holladay, an associate senior pastor at Saddleback. I checked with other sources quoted in the story this morning and they said they did not see any errors. While reporting this story I asked to speak to Rev. Warren directly but was told he was too busy for an interview. If any facts need to be corrected I hope representatives from Saddleback will get in touch with me." 

Read the article here.

What do you think about Warren's alleged plan to connect Muslims and Christians? If you're a Saddleback member, what's your take on the controversy? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS


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