Friday, April 6th 2013- Matthew Warren, 27-year-old son of Saddleback's Purpose Driven mega church Pastor Rick Warren son committed suicide.
Pastor Warren stated, "Matthew was an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many," the church's 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."
After a "fun evening" as a family, Warren said his son committed suicide "in a momentary wave of despair at his home." Warren also recalled, "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.
Forest Lake's mega church pastor Rick Warren, whose best known for his book, 'A Purpose Driven Life', was very proud of his son's life fight with mental illness. In a heart felt letter to his congregation, Warren shares memories about his son's sweet spirit, and always-trying-to-help attitude.
"You who watched Matthew grow up knew he was an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate man," he 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."
Saddleback Church's Facebook has exploded with support for Rick Warren and his wife Kay. In a religion and denomination where suicide is a topic most want to stay away from, and is looked down on, the encouragement and positive outpouring has touched many in the Church community around the world.
Prayers, encouraging messages, positive quotes, and testimonies from those who had been touched by Matthew are pouring in on all the ministries social media outlets and in many languages.
If you have a story about Saddle Back Church or Matthew Warren, please share.
Do you have a loved one who suffers a mental illness and can share a little bit about a day in their life? Please comment below.
SamTheWriter
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