You go through a lot of crap … There’s just some weird dynamics of being a pastor and a lot of time it feels impossible to raise your hand and say, ‘I’m not OK, I’m struggling, there’s things in my private life that are not pleasing, I’m having these thoughts that I know are wrong, I’m thinking about killing myself.’ “Hey pastors, it’s OK for you to not be OK. “I just want to say it’s OK to not be OK,” he said. In January, California Pastor Jim Howard, who led the Valencia campus of the more than 6,000-member Real Life Church, also fatally shot himself in the head after a lengthy battle with mental illness.įollowing the news of Wilson’s death, his friend and fellow Pastor Adam Weber reminded Christians that it’s OK to admit they’re struggling mentally. Last year, 30-year-old Andrew Stoecklein, a pastor in Chino, California, who often preached about mental illness, also took his own life after an open battle with depression and anxiety. Warren’s message came just hours before it was announced that Jarrid Wilson, a California church leader, author, and mental health advocate, died by suicide at age 30. We can work together to find better solutions to improve mental health and impact suicide prevention,” Kay Warren wrote Thursday.Īccording to the World Health Organization report: Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative, more than 800,000 people die by suicide across the world annually.
“Everyone has a part to play in suicide prevention whether you are a government, medical, business, or faith leader. Since then, the Warrens have used their platform to address mental illness and draw attention to how the church can best respond to mental health needs in the congregation and in the community. Following his death, Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, revealed Matthew had struggled with mental illness since childhood. On April 5, 2013, Warren's son, Matthew, fatally shot himself at the age of 27. “There are always people waiting to hear from you.
The pastor concluded with The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK. Warren encouraged those struggling with suicidal thoughts to remember three things: There's a purpose for your life you are loved, and you are needed in this world. No matter how dark things are, there’s always hope.” This breaks my heart and I want to say to all of you, I am sorry for the pain that you’re experiencing. “There’s a misconception that suicide only affects young people, but the highest rates of suicide are among men my age. “We all face dark days and thoughts of suicide affects people of all ages,” The Purpose Driven Life author said in a Sept.
Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren is offering encouragement to those struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, emphasizing that "no matter how dark things are, there’s always hope.” Another pastor preached in Warren's place on Sunday.Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. He is also the author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, according to the church’s website. Rick Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980. In the letter to his church community, Warren said he and his wife "often marveled" at their son's "courage to keep moving in spite of relentless pain." Matthew Warren was the youngest of their three children, according to the AP. Unfortunately, he also suffered from mental illness resulting in deep depression and suicidal thoughts,” the church said in a statement. “Matthew was an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many. The pastor and his wife were enjoying a Friday evening with their son, but he returned home to end his life in "a momentary wave of despair," the pastor said in an email to church staff, according to The Associated Press. The youngest son of evangelical Pastor Rick Warren and his wife Kay committed suicide after a long battle with mental illness, Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., said in a statement Saturday.
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