Saddleback Church to Host Civil Forum on Leadership
and Service with President George W. Bush:
Pastor Rick Warren to Moderate Nov. 29 Q & A Discussion
Dr. Rick Warren and Saddleback Church will continue the tradition of promoting civil discourse on Monday, Nov. 29, by hosting the Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Service featuring President George W. Bush.
“We are honored to have President Bush join us for his second Civil Forum,” said Rick Warren, founding pastor of the Orange County, Calif. church and author of the best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life.” “We are excited to host him at Saddleback Church and for the opportunity for our congregation to hear of the lessons he learned from his time as President and his current life outside of the White House.
I also hope to engage him in a robust conversation to gain insights from his new memoirs, ‘Decision Points,’ which not only provides a glimpse of life inside the pressures of the presidency for today’s readers, but will also stand as a reference resource for future historians.”
On World AIDS Day 2008, Dr. Warren was privileged to speak with then-President George W. Bush during the Civil Forum on Global Health in Washington, D.C., and honor him during his final days in office with the International Medal of PEACE for his unprecedented and tireless efforts worldwide towards eradicating HIV/AIDS. During the Q & A format of the Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Service, President Bush will explain his journey as leader of the nation, detailing the significance of his decisions.
President Bush has been on a national book tour since “Decision Points” released Nov. 9. During this time, he has worked to explain that while the role of a leader is difficult, leaders must remain optimistic, something President Bush often pointed out and modeled during his time in the Oval Office.
“We can all learn from our nation’s leaders – both past and present,” Pastor Rick Warren added. “During his eight years in the White House, President Bush faced many challenges, beginning with having to lead us through 9/11- one of the greatest attacks on our nation in the last century. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his individual policies, we can all gain insight from his experiences, and acknowledge the effectiveness his significant the important.”
The free ticketed event, which is sold out, will be held in the main auditorium of Saddleback Church on Nov. 29 at 7:00 p.m. PDT. The civil forum will be streamed live at http://www.saddlebackcivilforum.com/leadership/.
The Saddleback Civil Forums were established to promote civil discourse and the common good of all. The Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Service will be the seventh such event hosted by Saddleback Church, following the Saddleback Civil Forum on Holocaust Survivors in April 2008; the Saddleback Civil Forum on The Presidency featuring presumptive presidential nominees Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain discussing issues of leadership, held in August 2008; the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health honoring President George W. Bush with the first “International Medal of PEACE, ” held on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2008; Saddleback Civil Forum on Reconciliation welcoming President Kagame of Rwanda and Yale professor Miroslav Volf, Sept. 29, 2009; Saddleback Civil Forum on the Persecuted Church in Nov. 2009; and the Saddleback Civil Forum on Orphans and Adoption in May 2010.
“In addition to my primary calling to proclaim the Gospel message, these Civil Forums further my three other life goals: helping individuals accept responsibility, assisting the Church in regaining credibility and encouraging our society to return to civility,” Pastor Rick Warren explained.
Founded in 1980 by the Warren and his wife Kay, Saddleback Church is located in Lake Forest, Calif. With an average weekly attendance of 22,000, it is one of the largest churches in America. For additional information about the Saddleback Civil Forums, visit http://www.SaddlebackCivilForum.com.
ON-SITE CREDENTIALING/SET-UP: Due to the high demand for tickets, space for attending media is limited – working press may apply for credentials at http://www.rickwarrennews.com/credentials/ and will be informed on acceptance and specific details on Monday.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about Pastor Rick Warren and Saddleback Church, visit http://www.RickWarrenNews.com.
Submitted By;
A. Larry Ross Communications
Kristin Cole
Lauren Williams
