Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren's Son Commits Suicide

Updated with note sent from Rick Warren to staff, and coroner establishing cause of death.

Matthew Warren, the 27-year-old son of Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren, committed suicide after a long struggle with mental illness, it was announced Saturday.

The Orange County coroner estimated Warren died Friday at 10 a.m. from a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his Mission Viejo residence.

In an emotional message sent to the megachurch’s congregation, Rick Warren remembered his son as “an incredibly kind, gentle, and compassionate man.”

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“No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now,” 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.

“In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided,” Warren wrote. “Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.”

Saddleback Church, based in Lake Forest, has a worldwide following of more than 30,000 people drawn to Warren’s “purpose-driven” message.

According to CNN, Warren advised his staff of the news in an email. Below are the contents:

Subject: Needing your prayers

To my dear staff,

Over the past 33 years we’ve been together through every kind of crisis. Kay and I’ve been privileged to hold your hands as you faced a crisis or loss, stand with you at gravesides, and prayed for you when ill. Today, we need your prayer for us.

No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now. Our youngest son, Matthew, age 27, and a lifelong member of Saddleback, died today.

You who watched Matthew grow up knew he was an incredibly kind, gentle, and compassionate man. 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.

But only those closest knew that he struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts. In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided. Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.

Kay and I often marveled at his courage to keep moving in spite of relentless pain. 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?” but he kept going for another decade.

Thank you for your love and prayers. We love you back.

Pastor Rick

Read the Associated Press report on USAToday.com.