Pastor Louie Giglio has withdrawn from participating in President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony following uproar from gay rights activists over his stance on homosexuality.

In a statement Thursday, Giglio said he feels the benediction he was invited to deliver will be "dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration."

Some progressive writers had expressed concern over Obama's choosing of the evangelical pastor for the closing prayer. There was similar protest against Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren participating in the 2009 inauguration over his homosexuality stance. more >>

Pastor Rick Warren talked about politics and religion in light of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in an interview on "Fox News Sunday." He also discussed his new book written for young adults.

"With the two Sandys -- Sandy Hook and Hurricane Sandy -- we really need the Christmas spirit right now," said Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.

The most immediate need, he continued, is to help those who are grieving. Grief is a good thing, because, "it's the way we make transitions in the losses of life." It's important, therefore, not to "stuff our grief." more >>

Saddleback Church, the multi-campus megachurch headed by pastor and author Rick Warren, will be going into a new facility in a California city.

Saddleback has signed a long-term lease for a facility for its San Clemente campus, which boasts an estimated 2,500 members and has been meeting at a local high school. Led by Scott Hitzel, the congregation hopes to move into the completely renovated facility by Easter Sunday, 2013.

Regarding the move to the new facility, many local clergy have expressed support for the rise of the Saddleback satellite campus in their neighborhood. more >>

A number of organizations are raising international awareness on the debate concerning Uganda's proposed death penalty for homosexuals, and have called on Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren to once again speak out on the issue – which he did on Friday via Twitter.

Conflicting accounts stemming from Uganda have reported on where the African nation stands in its review of an anti-homosexuality bill that has been condemned by many Western countries.

Uganda is one of the only places in the world where engaging in homosexual activity is considered a crime, punishable by fines and jail time, with some government members pushing to make same-sex acts a capital punishment offense. more >>

Saddleback Church, the California evangelical megachurch headed by Pastor Rick Warren, will be holding a "Compassion Weekend" as part of its effort to help Rwandan orphans whose parents died from HIV-AIDS.

Set to coincide with World AIDS Day, Compassion Weekend will take place this coming Saturday and Sunday and is part of the goal to give all Rwandan orphans a home by 2015. Kay Warren, founder of Saddleback Church's HIV&AIDS Initiative, said in a statement that it could be done, especially with the Church helping the endeavor.

"This is a very audacious goal – to help a country be the first to empty their orphanages, helping 3,000 children become part of permanent families, but we know with God all things are possible," said Warren. more >>

Evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren recently stated that President Barack Obama has "infringed" upon religious freedom in America.

The pastor of California-based Saddleback Church made these remarks to the Huffington Post, saying that Obama is "absolutely" unfriendly to religion and his administration's policies have "intentionally infringed upon religious liberties."

In an interview with Marc Lamont Hill of Huff Post Live on Wednesday, Warren took issue with the contraception mandate issued by the Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year. more >>