Saddleback Church, home of ”Purpose Driven“ Pastor Rick Warren, is set to open its third annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church on Wednesday.
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the Nov 28-30 summit featuring more than 50 global keynote speakers and informative sessions led by experts in business, government, medicine, non-profits and ministry working locally and globally in the battle against AIDS.
“The HIV/AIDS pandemic is so large that it can’t be stopped without the combined efforts of leadership in the public, private/profit and faith sectors,” stated Kay Warren, wife of Rick Warren and the person who launched the HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church in 2003.
The popular husband and wife team has emphasized their belief that the Christian Church is the only truly global organization “existing in every country and in thousands of indigenous people groups that are not represented by the Untied Nations or any multi-national corporation.”
Some 2.3 billion people who profess to be followers of Christ make Christianity the largest organization, widest network and biggest volunteer force on the planet, the Warrens pointed out.
In response, the Global Summit on AIDS and the Church – the only global HIV/AIDS conference built entirely around a grassroots church-based strategy – was designed to mobilize millions of congregations around the world to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.
For three days, workshops will address topics such as orphans and vulnerable children, justice issues, HIV in Russia, HIV in China, HIV in the United States, HIV in resource-limited settings, and accessing government resources.
Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) is scheduled to speak at the Global Summit on Thursday. Meanwhile, a video message will be shown from at least three of the other candidates from both parties during the same session.
A new feature at this year gathering is the first-annual Youth Summit on AIDS to be held on Saturday, Dec. 1 (World AIDS Day). The youth summit aims to prompt students to care for those with HIV and strengthen their knowledge, engage their abilities, and maximize their potential to assist to end the global pandemic.
Jenna Bush, First Daughter of President George W. Bush and author of “Ana’s Story,” will be among the featured speakers at the Youth Summit. Others include Shaun Blakeney, high school pastor at Saddleback; John Thomas, senior pastor of Fish Hoek Baptist Church in South Africa; and Francis Chan, teaching pastor at Cornerstone Community Church.
There are 33.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS, including 18 million women and children living with HIV/AIDS, according to UNAIDS/WHO.
The Saddleback HIV/AIDS initiative is a key part of the P.E.A.C.E. plan, an overarching humanitarian strategy launched three years ago. This worldwide effort is to mobilize 1 billion church members to Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick, and Educate the next generation.
RSS
I will say this as tactfully, and as lovingly as I can to all who side with Rick Warren in this ecumenical drive to unite the worlds religeons. Be warned, for this is what the Bible says: God is gracious and merciful, and will forgive those who turn to Him thru Jesus Christ with a repentant heart, and choose to fllow Him. However, He is the Righteous God, and He will judge those who deliberately turned their backs on Him and His Son - Jesus Christ because of their obstinate rebellion and continual rejection of His Son. Read the Bible in context, and then comment on it. We cannot, and should not have felowship with those who claim to be Christians yet don't obey His Word, and HIs Salvation Message. The post modern liberal Emergent church, and it's seeker sensitive counterparts want people to believe that if we all save the environment, and save the whales, the events of the Book of Revelation will not happen, and we can actually prevent it from happening. This similar social gospel which claims that we should make the world a better place, and usher in peace prior to Jesus' second coming, as well as unite with all people of faiths has been adopted by Rick Warren, and has caused whole splits in the Southern Baptist Convention, because he has gone down the Purpose Driven P.E.A.C.E Plan agenda, which by the way is a false doctrine my friends. These movements which align themselves with Bono from U2 and the whole COEXIST crowd have more in common with humanism, one world religeon, and the new age than what the Bible says will transpire. The problem today is that we have so many "Bible teachers" who are more motivational speakers than true shepherd's of the flock of God. No wonder the Body of Christ is split. The Bible talks of a great falling away in the end times. Men will naturally gravitate towards what their "itching ears" want to hear. What more itching do you need than what you hear on TBN, and the like: "find success", "you are the controller of your own destiny" "God will prosper you if you just have faith [and send me your money]". They take Scripture out of context to suit their own desires, and fleece the flock of God for their own matierial gain. OPEN YOUR EYES and STUDY the WORD IN CONTEXT; for Christ will return soon.
I am convinced Jesus will return soon for His Bride, and we are living in the end times brother, and make no mistake about it, the "emergent conversation", the "emergent church", the COEXIST Movement, and BOno from U2 along with the Rick Warrens of the world with their social gospel are creating a "bridge" between Christianity and Eaastern as well as Catholic Mysticism wich is really new age.
Read up more on the social liberalism of the emergent church, and the many seductive false doctrines such as contemplative prayer (which is really eastern mysticism), the bringing back of icons to "feel" God move in people's midsts, you can eve read up on Brian Mclaren's (The man who is credited to being the founder of this liberal church movement) view, as well as many of their leaders views on hell and homosexuality, and you will see they are totally extra biblical. you can find more info on this at www.understandthetimes.org, and www.apprising.org.
The emergent church preaches an extra biblical gospel that is more in line with the new age than it is with Sound Doctrine based Biblical Christianity. Many of them - to mention one - Tony Campolo recently told a young reader how to have a born again experience thru contemplative prayer! Imagine that, the Bible says there is only one way to God and that is Jesus Christ, and here is a so called evangelical preacher (not really evangelical even though he calls himself this) and he is teaching an eastern mystical practice taught in the Roman Catholic Church and the Jessuit Order. Now imagine that, he is adoptig practices from a church that teaches the deification of Mary as being co-redemptrix with Christ. This is heresy my brother, and we need to exhort others in love, and pray for their eyes to be quickly opened to this deception in the church; that they may see this for what it is, and that the Holy Spirit in mercy and grace may convict their hearts to repent and come back.
I think you can be a born again, Bible-believing Christian and still support Warren's efforts and chastise sinful lifestyles and look to cure AIDS. Yes, I believe in abstinence, but I don't throw out the baby because it messed itself. I clean up the baby and try to teach it right from wrong and hope it learns those lessons. Even if it doesn't, it is not my responsibility for the baby's life led later, but I am required to show Christ's compassion and clean and protect it as I can.
I have a gay boss who is my friend and I have a gay uncle who has been with a male partner for 15+ years. Neither of them are professing Christians. But they may project a better lifestyle than many of my Christian friends, some who have been divorced and remarried several times. IF they ever want my opinion from a Bible perspective on their lifestyle, they can ask, but they never do. And I don't force my position on them either. I try to be a living Example, as Christ told us to be.
I like the one quote I heard from a noted Christian author "we are all called to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. And sometimes we have to speak."
We can preach abstinence. We can deny condoms to kids. But when the kids are pregant or now HIV positive (or AIDs), we can also comfort and try to heal and help them. God doesn't abandon us when we sin. People here seem to forget the full version of John 3:16 and Romans 5:8.
"There is nothing we can do to make God love us more, there is nothing we can do to make God love us less."
- Philip Yancey
dannygirl, excuse my ignorance, but what is "the worm"?
Whaaat?
"A number of the respondents seem to be unaware , or worse, uncaring, of the fact that a large percentage of AIDS sufferers did not contact the disease as a result of "immoral" sexual relations. What about all the children who were born with AIDS or those who contacted it through blood transfusions?"
Whaat? The number one way to contract AIDS is through sexual intercourse, then blood transfusion, then from the worm. So I don't know hat world you live in. Then the AIDS epidemic numbers has been proven to be false. The falsification of AIDS suffers was to get money.
The number one transmitter of AIDS is by gay men. Then Bi-sexual men. Then promiscuous pre-martial sex by men and women. If no one warns them their about promiscuous sexual behavior, then how will the disease stop spreading. Are you going to wish it away.
The number one preventable way to stop the spread of AIDS is to teach God's word to live a holy life through abstaince. The second is to not let gay or bi- sexual men donate their blood. You don't get AIDS out of the air. Jesus said to the woman caught in adoultry . "Woman tneither to I condem you, but go and sin no more"Are you really a christian? And to the man that he healed at the well at Berthsida, "Why don't you stop sining orn something worst might happened to you." This is not condemnation it is truth.
Are you even a christian? Do even know the Lord?
A number of the respondents seem to be unaware , or worse, uncaring, of the fact that a large percentage of AIDS sufferers did not contact the disease as a result of "immoral" sexual relations. What about all the children who were born with AIDS or those who contacted it through blood transfusions? Then there are the faithful wives who contacted it through their unfaithful husbands, as well as women who were raped. How about having some Christian compassion and understanding for them? As it is, Christians should have compassion and caring for all victims but this seems to be impossible for people who are so obsessed with sex.
Quote: “The HIV/AIDS pandemic is so large that it can’t be stopped without the combined efforts of leadership in the public, private/profit and faith sectors,” stated Kay Warren, wife of Rick Warren and the person who launched the HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church in 2003."
These people may mean well, but they are totally lost. Everything that comes out of their mouth's is of the flesh and not true biblical teaching. If they and everyone else would quit worrying about offending people and call sin what it is and preach the true gospel, we wouldn't have this so called epidemic. MORALITY prevents AIDS.
meesh - I'd also like to say that I'm all for caring for AIDS patients and any that are hurting. I just don't think that we need to chose a one or the other mindset. We can have a loving attitude about caring for all those in need of help, and still stand against what is evil.
meesh -
"Ok, so Hillary wants to allow legal abortion. No-- that's not preferable, but she still has some humanitarian efforts that are worth paying attention to".
With the murder of millions of babies on an annual basis I think that "not preferable" is an understatement. That's like saying that dying of cancer is mildly unpleasant.
What humanitarian efforts of Hillary's are you referring to?
I have to admit, Rick Warren knows how to put on a big production.
But he just wants everybody to know that Saddleback is not going to shun homesexuals anymore. The big production is just to show the rest of the world how Christians are supposed to confront the issue.
It would be great if the same attention were given to Fornication and Adultery. But I suppose that would be a really big production.
Rick Warren's humanistic, lukewarm antics have caused a lot of trouble with family and friends of mine. We've left a Church because of their endorsement of him. Rick Warren needs to realize that God has power over AIDS. The pulpit isn't a place for people who are running for office to come pretend they care about AIDS and pull in some votes.
How about caring for some people who are our NEIGHBORS, as Christ said, and have been suffering for years and will spend their lives suffering as we enjoy freedoms and excess? Ok, so Hillary wants to allow legal abortion. No-- that's not preferable, but she still has some humanitarian efforts that are worth paying attention to. Christianity is the biggest force in the world and cannot just sit around as the AIDS pandemic carries on. We should support anyone who supports GOOD and JUST efforts, even if that person isn't perfect. I gotta love Christians with a global focus! There ARE more issues than abortion... there really are.
Rick Warren the false anti Christ Pastor/prophet that has taken upon to himself along with other fellow apostates to bridge the Bride of with with antichrist Muslims. IHe is now going to lead a AIDS/HIV initiative global summit with the quintessential abortion candidate, besides Barack Obama, Hilliary Clinton.
Here is novel idea, Instead of having these summits Rick Warren should be telling these people to stop having sex outside of marriage and that homosexual behavior is a sin and causes diseases that shortens the life span. But, Rick Warren is not going to that. He doesn't preach sound doctrine. He tickles the ear and says what itching ears want hear. Funny Kay Warren perverts the gospel and says if you tell anyone their sexual sin is causing AIDS, "Jesus says that's evil". We are not supposed to judge.
Are their no strong Christian men to stand up to this evil? Where are the Godly Christian women to say "enough is enough"? CHURCH WAKE UP. DON"T LET RICK WARREN SPEAK FOR YOU. His actions arbores the Lord. Raise up a standard against Rick Warrens apostasy. He think he can bridge us with Islam.
Oh God. How long will you look on? Arise. Why sleepest thou?
Danny