Categories: U.S. News

Matthew Warren, pastor Rick Warren’s youngest son, commits suicide at the age of 27

Matthew Warren, Rick Warren’s youngest son, has committed suicide at the age of 27 after a long battle with depression.

It was reported that the estimated time of Matthew Warren’s death was Friday at 10 a.m. and said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Rick Warren, the evangelical pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, revealed his son’s death to his church on Saturday.

“No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now,” the pastor told his congregation in a statement, pleading for their prayers as the family mourned.

Rick Warren revealed in a statement that Matthew had struggled with mental illness from a young age, experiencing “dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts”.

Matthew Warren, Rick Warren’s youngest son, has committed suicide at the age of 27 after a long battle with depression

Despite countless doctors and medication, “the torture of mental illness never subsided”.

“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,” Rick Warren continued.

Rick Warren is married to Kay, who is active in her husband’s ministry, and they have two other adult children, Amy and Joshua, and five grandchildren.

He said that the tragic event occurred after Matthew had spent time with the couple on Thursday.

“In a momentary wave of despair at his home [in Mission Viejo, California], he took his life.”

The Coroner’s office said that an autopsy would be conducted next week on either Monday or Tuesday.

Rick Warren frequently communicates via his Twitter account but did not post any messages on Friday.

On Saturday afternoon, the pastor posted this tweet referencing the Lord’s Prayer.

“We pray <<Thy WILL be done on earth AS IT IS IN HEAVEN>> since in heaven God’s will is done #always. On earth, it’s done rarely,” seemingly in response to the family’s tragic loss.

Rick Warren, 59, is one of the leading voices in the evangelical movement in America.

His church, located in Orange County, is ranked the seventh largest congregation in the U.S. with an average weekly attendance of 20,000.

The Southern Baptist pastor authored the Purpose Driven Life, a devotional study book, that was published in 2002 and became a New York Times bestseller, selling over 32 million copies as it exploded as a popular trend among conservative Christians.

Rick Warren has taken an active role in promoting social justice and even hosted the Civil Forum on The Presidency, attended by both Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and then Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) during the 2008 presidential election.

Pastor Rick Warren was also selected to deliver the invocation at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.

His wife, Kay Warren, helped him establish the evangelical church in 1980.

UzSbKzJ4Xcg
Nancy Clayson

Nancy is a young, full of life lady who joined the team shortly after the BelleNews site started to run. She is focused on bringing up to light all the latest news from the technology industry. In her opinion the hi-tech expresses the humanity intellectual level. Nancy is an active person; she enjoys sports and delights herself in doing gardening in her spare time, as well as reading, always searching for new topics for her articles.

Recent Posts

Donald Trump and Elon Musk Celebrate Election Victory at UFC 309

Image source: Wikimedia Commons President-elect Donald Trump celebrated his election victory at the Ultimate Fighting…

6 days ago

White House 2024: Donald Trump Wins, Kamala Harris Calls Him to Concede Election

Millions of voters across the US chose to return Donald Trump to the White House…

2 weeks ago

Who Won? Donald Trump Declares Victory as He Addresses Jubilant Supporters in Florida

Donald Trump declares victory in the US election as he addresses jubilant supporters in Florida.…

3 weeks ago

Stocks Soaring as Donald Trump Closes in on US Victory

Stocks around the world are rising as Donald Trump appears to be on the cusp…

3 weeks ago

Who Won? Kamala Harris Cancels Election Night Party as Path to Victory Narrows

Donald Trump has won Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia and taken a lead over Kamala…

3 weeks ago

Quincy Jones Dead at 91

Quincy Jones, the celebrated musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray…

3 weeks ago