Rick Warren Offers Anglicans a City of Refuge

As the California Supreme Court decided to side with The Episcopal Church regarding church property, an evangelical pastor and his congregation have made a decision of their own - to reach out to Anglican congregations without a home.

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and successful pastor of the mega-church Saddleback Community Church, has thrown a lifeline to evicted Episcopalians.

Pastor Warren has offered his church facility to any Anglican congregation that needs a place to meet or to those who want to begin a new congregation.

This invitation comes on the heels of a decision by the California State Supreme Court in favor of The Episcopal Church with regard to the ownership of church property. Based upon this decision, Episcopal congregations will have little hope of retaining their property, no matter how much they invested in its development.

Church planting and re-location in the United States has been hard-hit in recent years by the decisions of many public schools regarding the rental of facilities for worship services. Displaced Anglican parishes are facing the same pressure of trying to find an adequate meeting place.

For those parishes located in Orange County, California, their prayers have been answered in a significant way.

Timothy Morgan, on Christianity Today's blog, reprinted a portion of the letter sent to some Anglican leaders by the Saddleback Senior Pastor: "[Our] brothers and sisters here at St. James in Newport Beach lost their California State Supreme Court case to keep their property.

"We stand in solidarity with them, and with all orthodox, evangelical Anglicans. I offer the campus of Saddleback Church to any Anglican congregation who need a place to meet, or if you want to plant a new congregation in south Orange County."

It would seem that Pastor Warren and Saddleback Community Church may be the first of many congregations in America that will stand in solidarity with Anglicans on the move.

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