CHRUCHPROJECTUPDATE,MARCH10,2009: SaddlebackChurchsExecutivePastor,GlenKreun(thenumbertwopastoratSaddleback),has respondedtoourlettertoPastorRickWarrenwithanemailmessagewhichendedwithastatement whichsaidMr.Cunningham,itismydesirethatIcouldmeetwithyou.Onthestrengthofthis apparentopening,wehavesuspendedthecirculationofthepressreleaseannouncingthe commencementofourabortionphotodisplayatSaddlebackChurchthisSunday.Wewillalsodelaythe startoftheproject,pendingtheoutcomeoffurtherdiscussionswithSaddleback. PastorKruenssecretarytoldusthismorningthatshewillaskPastorKruenforhisearliestpossible meetingdateandcallusbackwithitnextweek.Wewillnotissueanypressreleaseatthistimebutit willbepostedonourwebsiteandIwillagreetobeinterviewedifapproachedbyreporterswhobecome awareoftheprojectbyothermeans. OnTuesday,March10,2009,wereceivedaphoneconfirmationthatwewouldbemeetingwithPastor KreunatSaddlebackChurchonSaturday,March14,at10:30AM. WearethankingGodforabreakthroughwhichmostobserversbelievedtobesounlikelyastovergeon theimpossible.

Otheractivists(antiabortionandotherwise)havetriedtoschedulemeetingswith PastorWarrenandfailed. HerearethefactsasIunderstandthem: OurfirstresponsefromSaddlebacktotheletterwesentPastorWarren,withcopiestohisseniorstaff, camethedayafterthelettersweredelivered.PastorKevinRobertsoncalledusinhiscapacityas directorofSaddlebacksecurity.Hewasannoyedthatwehadenclosedabortionphotoswiththeletters. Hesaidthestaffwasupsetbytheseimagesandwantedtoknowhowwehadobtainedthenamesof seniorstaffmembers.Wereferredhimtohisownwebsite.Thenheexpressedconcernthathissix yearolddaughtermightseeourabortionphotosandbeasupsetasshewaswhenshesawsimilar photosoutsideanabortionclinicinhisneighborhood. ThenPastorKreunsentusanemailmessagewhichsaidthefollowing,inpertinentpart: IhadafulldebriefingfromKevinRobertson.Thefirstproblemwiththisstatementisthatitisa tacitadmissionthatPastorKreunhadnotreadtheletterandtheonlythingheknewaboutitwaswhat littlehehadlearnedfromPastorRobertson.TheproblemwiththisdebriefingisthatPastorRobertson assuredmethathehadreadourletterbutthenaskedmeNow,whyareyoudoingthis?Thislimited understandingofthecontentsofthelettercallsintoquestionthevalueofPastorRobertsondebriefing. PastorKruennextsaidIcalledRickandsharedwithhimyourdesiretohaveyourvideoandother materialsbeusedatSaddleback.ThisstatementalsosuggestsatacitadmissionthatPastorWarrenhas notreadtheletterandknowsnothingmoreaboutitthanhelearnedthirdhandfromPastorKruens incompleteunderstanding.WhatweactuallywantfromSaddlebackgoesfarbeyondtheirwillingnessto useourresources.

PastorKruenthensaidRick,whohasbeenonyourwebsite,wasquicktoagreethatgraphicpictures areadeterrenttoabortionsandshouldbeusedinourSaddlebackprogram.GettingPastorWarrenon ourwebsiterepresentssignificantprogressbecausethehomepageautomaticallyrunsaveryshocking videoofabortionsinprogress.Itisalsoaplusthatheacknowledgestheneedtousephotos.Whatis disappointingaboutPastorWarrensreactionisthatheapparentlydoesntthinkheshouldbetheone tousethem.Hisproposedsolutiontotheabortionproblemdidnotseemproportionatetothe magnitudeofthiscrisis. PastorKruennextsaidHerearetwowayswewouldliketouseyourmaterial: Preaching:Abortionismentionedonoccasion(butonlyasamonganumberofsins)andwhenitis Rickwillpauseandthentalkaboutandgiveyourwebsiteinfobothonthescreensandverbally. TheproblemsherearethatPastorWarrendoesnotseemtoappreciatetheneedtopreachanentire sermonfocusedonabortion.Hewillmerelymentionitonoccasion.Also,lumpingabortionintoan amorphouslitanyofotherlessersinssuggestsmoralequivalence.Bothofthesemistakeshavethe effectoftrivializingabortion.ThelastproblemisthatinsteadofPastorWarrenshowingthe congregationwhatabortionis,hewillmerelytellthemwheretheycangotofindoutwhatitisfor themselves.Weknowfromexperiencethatthepeoplewhomostneedtoseeabortionarethosewho areleastlikelytoseekitout. ThenextareainwhichPastorKreunsaysSaddlebackmightuseourresourcesis: Counseling:Wefindthatinourcounselingprogramweareabletohearaboutandreachouttothose contemplatinganabortion.Wouldyouprovideuswithmaterialsyouhavethatyoufeelwouldbesthelp usinourministry?Ofcoursewewillbutagain,thisproposalbetraysamisunderstandingofthe abortionproblem.Thereisnodoubtthatmostwomenwhoabortdiscusstheirdecisionwithsomeone. Butthatsomeoneisseldomtheirpastor.Onlyaverysmallpercentageofthewomenwhoattend Saddlebackandconsiderabortioneverseekcounseling,beforeoraftertheirabortions.Iamreminded oftheFocusontheFamilyradiointerviewJamesDobsononceconductedwithseveralChristiancollege presidents.Heaskedthemwhentheyhadlastseenapregnantcoedontheircampusesandtoaperson theysaidnever.Fromthisfacttheseadministratorsapparentlydeducedthattheircoedswerent gettingpregnantandthattheywerentgettingpregnantbecausethesewereChristiangirlswhowerent havingsex.Itneverseemstohaveoccurredtothemthatsexwasmorecommonthantheyhad imaginedandthattheresultingpregnancieswereinvisiblebecausetheywerebeingaborted. Itismyconsideredopinionthattheprogresswehavemadehere,whileremarkable,mustnotbe exaggerated.IwassickenedwhenprolifeactivistsexpressedprofoundgratitudethatPresident ObamahadwaiteduntilthedayaftertheanniversaryofRoev.Wadetoreinstatefundingforforeign abortionclinics.Theysawthisasanenormousvictorybecauseitshowedsensitivityonthe presidentspart.Toomanyofushavesufferedsomanydefeats,oversuchalongperiodoftime,that wefantasizevictorieswheretherearenone.

Wemustenterintothesemeetingswithopenmindsbutalsowithopeneyes.Iamagreeingtomeet withsubordinatesatSaddlebackprimarilyinanefforttoconvincethemtopersuadePastorWarrento meetwithus.IgreatlyadmirePastorKreunbutIwanttomeetwiththeultimatedecisionmaker becausetheproposalswearemakingaresosweepingthattheycannotbemeaningfullyapproved withoutthetotalbuyinofPastorWarren. WewantPastorWarrentoleadthemobilizationoftheentireBodyofChristagainstabortionallover theworld.Hecantdothateffectivelyunlesshehasdevelopedandisimplementingacomprehensive plantofightabortioninhisownchurch.Thisiswhatheisdoingwhenheleadsbyexampleinthefight againstAIDS.PastorWarrendoesntmentionAIDSonlyoccasionallyandasmerelyanotherdisease amongmanyhealthproblems.Hefocuseshugeministryresourcesonit.Neitherdoeshesendpeople tosomewebsiteiftheyiftheywanttolearnmoreaboutAIDS.Hedoestheheavyliftinghimself.Nor doeshesitaroundwaitingforpeoplewhowanttobecounseledaboutAIDS.Hetravelsaroundthe world,proactivelygoingtopeoplewhoarentgoingtocometohim.Hetriestopreventthisdiseaseas wellastreatit.ThatiswhatacomprehensiveAIDSplanlookslikeandthatiswhatacomprehensive abortionplanwouldlooklike. OncethatmodelprolifeministryplanisdesignedandbeingimplementedatSaddleback,wewantto makeafilmfeaturingPastorWarrenlayingoutanewvisionformobilizingthechurchagainstthemost horrificmassmurderinallofhistory. IbelievethatSaddlebackisagreatchurch.IbelievethatPastorWarrenissincereaboutwantingtofind Godswillregardingabortion.Wemightwonder,then,howhecouldbesuchagrandvisionaryonAIDS butsuchasmallthinkeronabortion.ButthepathtoSaddlebacksleadershiponAIDSbeganwithhis wifehavingherheartbrokenbyterriblepicturesofravagedchildren.ShethenbrokePastorWarrens heart.Byhisownadmission,hedidntfigureitoutonhisown.Wedontwanttooverplayourhand andusethesidewalkabortionpicturesinjudiciouslybutneithercanweaffordtosettleformoreofthe samekindsofhalfmeasureswhichhavekeptthechurchlargelyonthesidelinesofthisbattleforthirty fiveyears.Whenweacceptcompromise,wearenttradingawayourrights,wearetradingawaythe livesofthebabiesforwhomwespeak.Wecantwinwithoutthechurchandbecausemostpastorsare followersratherthanleaders,thechurchisntgoingtogetintothisfightwithouttheleadershipof someonelikePastorWarren. Iwilldirectthestafftobeginpreparationsforthenextmegachurchesonourlistwhileweattemptto workwithSaddleback.Pleasecontinuetopraythatwewillrecognizevictorywhenweseeitbutnota minutebefore.