At Orange County's Mega-Church Even Politics are Rocking

He is the hottest act in Orange County, and Orange County hasn't seen many hot acts. His venue is SRO every weekend, which means perhaps 20,000 souls; last weekend, it meant national TV exposure and international publicity.

So I decided to go to church (that is, mega-church) last Sunday to see Rick Warren in action, chat with him and, well, review his act.

The good pastor is a portly, breezy, garrulous Southern Baptist who is not really Southern and not too much of a Baptist and his mega-church is not so much a house of worship as it is an evangelical launching pad for his worldwide causes.

He told me that the task of interviewing presidential candidates last weekend was tougher than he'd imagined. "I know both of these men and the trouble is that they are mirror opposites in almost every way -- the way they talk, the way they think. You get whiplash talking with them back-to-back."

Yet that is what Rick Warren did and his show grabbed two hours live on CNN worldwide and spurred even more folks to refer to him as the post-2000 Billy Graham.

Given the sudden burst of publicity (the cover of Time, stories in every major newspaper), Rick Warren was stoked Sunday morning. The two presidential candidates had traveled thousands of miles to be grilled by him and his aud was thunderously reverent, giving him boisterous applause as he made his stage left entrance for his regular Sunday sermon.

Warren bills his act "The Purpose Driven Life" (also the name of his bestseller) and he makes it clear to followers that his purpose is to achieve the international stage for his causes. He has stressed that, though an evangelical, he is also a nonpartisan. Attired in his normal preaching gear of Hawaiian shirt and jeans, Warren proclaimed, "I am not left wing and I'm not right wing, I'm for the whole bird. You have to have two wings to fly," which, in Orange County, is a giant applause line.

Warren was thrilled with the results of his "civil forum" not only because of his ratings but because he had deftly turned it into a commercial for his church's activities in both Orange County and in foreign countries like Rwanda. On the Saturday show, he let McCain do a full-fledged commercial for Saddleback's initiatives and rewarded the Republican candidate by scrupulously avoiding follow-up questions or interrupting his stump speeches.

Indeed, the pastor caught some heat from the press: Although he'd assured his audience that McCain had not heard Obama's prior responses to the questions, it appears that the Republican had actually been able to listen to that part of the show from his car while driving to the event Rick Warren seemed pained by the suggestion of favoritism.

If many questioned the pastor's talents as a political interviewer, he was nonetheless rocking as a mega-church preacher.

A Rick Warren sermon is folksy, impromptu but smartly prepped, with accompanying Biblical citations emblazoned on giant TV screens above the stage. As a man who admits to a mild attention deficit problem, Warren's preaching is broken up every 10 minutes for moments of live gospel rock emanating from a highly skilled 10 member band and a chorus of 20 (this is serious show biz, folks).

The music, performed at all six regular weekend SRO perfs, is supervised by a one-time Greenwich Village hippie named Rick Muchow (pictured left) who, clad in black T-shirt and black jeans, conducts, does the pre-show warmup and even delivers an occasional number.

Muchow has a pool of 200 musicians (many of them paid, some volunteers) to keep up with the pastor's furious schedule. And he knows he has to keep things up-tempo - Rick Warren's audiences don't speak in tongues (this is conservative Orange County), but they are on their feet, waving their arms and doing a sing-along (the lyrics, too, pop on the screen, creating an effect of gospel karaoke).

The pastor himself keeps his sermons positive and practical. His church may be evangelical, but his concerns focus on the global AIDS epidemic and building parental support for the millions of orphans around the world.

He stresses the need for generosity and humility and goes to lengths to emphasize that he himself stays humble. "Praise is like bubble gum," he says, "You chew on it but you don't swallow it."

As for his portly stature, he says, "I watch my weight (patting his stomach). How can I not watch it?"

His vast and growing audience admires his folksy charm. It even abides his non-partisanship, though in Orange County being "on the right" is a mandate. During the Saturday evening meeting, when John McCain declared that life begins at conception, the audience exploded in applause.

Rick Warren isn't preaching about conception. He argues that "civility" is a lost ingredient in this country's public debate and he's determined to try and salvage it in his own folksy way.

Comments

[joebiz]

This is what one gets when one combines chauvinistic celebrity culture and religion . . . OC Mega Churches. What ever happened to mass in Latin?

[MsEngineer]

The other night there was a program called "Religion or Brainwashing?" covering Warren Jeff's fundamentalist latter day saints church. I found myself thinking isn't all religion nothing but brainwashing? Parents take their babies to church, send them to Sunday School (or other school depending on religion) and tell them to believe in some type of God. We look at the fundamentalist muslims and think they must be brainwashed to act that way.

I see these mega church pastors the same way. The followers have been brainwashed by their christian upbringing and can no longer think for themselves. I mean, seriously, if they could step a little outside the box they are in, they would have to ask why the pastor arrives in a BMW, wears a $2000 suit accessorized with a Rolex and then drives home to his mansion. I should feel sorry for them but when they blindly followed these guys and voted for Bush, they totally screwed up the country and they are headed down the same path with McCain.

[RobinSeattle]

I just wonder what Paul Crouch, an even bigger televangelist whose Trinity Broadcasting Network has its gloriously grotesquely designed offices and production facilities in Tustin, just down the road from Warren's racket, felt about this. His ego must have had him raging at the upstart that day.

TBN is worth a reported $700 million and none of that gets to the poor in Orange County (they can go about two minutes away to the barrios in Santa Ana if they cared). And Crouch's scam does talk in tongues and Benny Hinn, another fraud artist, is often featured on TBN.

Warren has been completely silent on how Crouch and his lantern jawed freak of a wife Jan have been misusing religion to glorify and enrich themselves. If he can't do even that then there was no reason for anyone to think he had any basis to morally cross examine McCain and Obama.

[NotMcCain]

How can you write this way about this obvious liar and phony?

He was "pained" at the suspicions of "favoritism"? What a phony!

He. Lied. He. Knew McCain wasn't there and LIED ABOUT IT.

Is it so hard for Americans to recognize a charlatan when they see one? "Elmer Gantry" should be required reading (or viewing).

It was reported that tickets went for $500-2500 for the forum. Where'd the money go? Does this "tax exempt church" (which probably also applies to Warren's income from the sale of 25 MILLION copies of "The Purpose Driven Lie"..uh, "Life") give an accurate accounting of income, expenses, and how much actually gets to his "charities"?

It was obvious McCain had the questions in advance. He seemed so prepped, in fact, that it was most likely he had them way before the forum and listening (watching?) in the limo was just to make sure he could top whatever Obama said.

McCain cheated and Warren lied about it. I saw his act on Saturday and he's got the sleazy, "I'm a good ol' bipartisan nice guy" act down really well. But we saw him blatantly lie (and cheat) to advance a conservative Republican agenda.

Personally, I wouldn't believe a thing he says.

The only question I'm interested in is, "What else does he lie about?"

[BADEN]

"So I decided to go to church (that is, mega-church) last Sunday to see Rick Warren in action, chat with him and, well, review his act."

I just realized how true this statement is about 'religion' today....IT IS AN ACT! IT IS THEATRE...not GOOD theatre, but theatre, none the less.

IT IS AN ACT - it's not preaching. It has NOTHING to do with theology.

IT IS AN ACT - like Elmer Gantry, and AIMEE SEMPLE McPHERSON

http://www.cephasministry.com/evangelists.html

It's THEATRE, folks - an ILLUSION.
It's a MIRROR into your greatest yearnings with nothing but fluff behind the curtain.

[MyThought]

If you can read - you can read the Bible and you don't need an overpaid guy making mega-bucks in the "business" of religion to tell you what it says, etc.

Look at the money these guys make - it's obscene.

Read the Bible yourself - you don't need a middle man getting rich off you.

[sandman23]

I have asked myself throughout the years,does going to church every week make me a better person? Does it mean that I love God any less? My conclusions are this: It is what I feel in my heart and how I treat my fellow American's. Just going to church does not make anyone a better person. I have seen may people who go to church every Sunday and preach the word, but they are mean and nasty. No thanks. I will pray to God on my own and read the bible alone. My son is a minister and I know what goes on inside his church. It is NOT by any means all sugar and honey. I can not wrap my arms around the idea that Jewish people will go to hell if they do not believe in Jesus. The Jewish people as far a I am concerned are God's chosen people God will not turn his back on them. I believe I have the same chance as those that go to church every week of going to heaven. I always ask myself what would God do. I treat my fellow man with respect. I have friends who are gay,straig­ht,black,w­hite etc. I would not turn anyone away if they were in need. Yes! I know I will go to heaven.

[GrainOSand]

If the man is truly doing good deeds and good works for “the least of these”, may God bless him and may he continue on that path. He ticked me off concerning the forum. Some may ask why and I would say, because he specifically told Obama not to make a stump speech in providing an answer, and yet, he did not admonish McCain to do the same. All McCain did is spew canned baloney, or was it spam? I will not even get into the "cone" issue. The way he handled the interview spoke to and resembled a one winged bird to my untrained yet highly sensitive to BS eyes and ears. He may be all he claims but I have seen lying men and women of the cloth before (the Bakers come to mind). He now has one strike against him, and on my diamond, he only gets two before he is out of credibility.

[genia]

Scary how a jolly folksy man can just charm the wallets out of so many pants.

There's something about evangelists....I know a few... They have a mission..it is to convert as many people as possible in their lifetime.
They don't dwell on Jesus much..in fact...they .....don't give him much credit at all. They believe in strictly following the bible, the old testament..they memorize..they study the psalms they quote them.....and quote them. and quote them...everything can and is related to a psalm. Want to justify war, murder, violence...they have a psalm for it.
They have taken all the meek and kind out of the equation....they believe in war and the wrath of God...old testament ..pre new testament...pre Jesus Christ.
They are a strange bunch...I don't mean to offend anyone...and I have no idea about all evangelists.
But I do know that this pastor Rick..........well, there's more to him that meets the eye.
The fact that time after time the evangelists back a republican... just for the issue of abortion...they say that they choose life...every time....and yet...they are ok with us bombing and blowing up babies and children in Iraq ......wish someone would ask jolly pastor Rick about that....or...the fact that these babies are born and spend their life uncared for..poor.­..abused..­..good old pastor Rick could care less about that...but hey....he's charming, ain't he?

[NotMcCain]

Great post--There's a ring of truth to all that you say.

Like all good salesman, religious con-artists know how to charm and they make a living knowing how to close the deal.

Obama's sincere faith and his belief as a Christian in the basic goodness of his fellow man was there for everyone to see on Saturday.

I'm sorry I couldn't see the same qualities in either Warren or McCain.

[Cil]

I JUST FIND THIS DECACLE TOTALLY DISGUSTING! PASTOR WARREN LIED OUTRIGHT. YOU CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND, YOU DO NOT SAY THAT SOMETHING IS SO, UNLESS YOU REALLY KNOW THAT IT IS!

JOHM McCAIN KNEW THE TIME THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE SADDLEBACK CHURCH, AT LEAST A MONTH IN ADVANCE! WHY WAS HE HALF AN HOUR LATE? WHY DID HE HAVE ACCESS TO RADIO, TV. AND CELL PHONES DURING THIS HALF HOUR? WHO FRISKED HIM WHEN HE DID ARRIVE AT THE SADDLEBACK CHURCH (HALF AN HOUR LATE) TO MAKE SURE THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A CELL PHONE HIDDEN ON HIS PERSON, THEREBY ALLOWING HIS CAMPAIGN MANAGERS TO GIVE HIM THE HEADS UP!

COME ON PEOPLE USE YOUR HEADS, HE CHEATED OUTRIGHT!

[wutzhappn]

"Orange County hasn't seen many hot acts?" What is up with that comment? Orange County is home to the Verizon Amphitheater and the Anaheim Pond, Galaxy Theater, Coach House, etc,. Plus the Performing Arts Center. There have been tons and tons of national headliners and acts throughout the decades in Orange County. Get yer facts straight, buddy.

[NotMcCain]

What? S/he didn't say anything like that.

Good points, Cil, but no one will read them unless you turn CAP LOCK off.

[going2ireland]

There is soooooo much to comment about in this article.

"...even more folks to refer to him as the post-2000 Billy Graham."
Sorry, but Rick Warren is NO Billy Graham. I am sure that Rick Warren thinks of himself as being the one to take over where Billy Graham left off, but not!

"Warren was thrilled with the results of his "civil forum" not only because of his ratings but because he had deftly turned it into a commercial for his church's activities in both Orange County and in foreign countries like Rwanda. On the Saturday show, he let McCain do a full-fledged commercial for Saddleback's initiatives and rewarded the Republican candidate by scrupulously avoiding follow-up questions or interrupting his stump speeches."

Let me address how Warren was thrilled that "he had deftly turned it into a commercial for his church's activities in both Orange County and in foreign countries like Rwanda." Did anyone have any doubts that Warren's purpose in staging the forum was to tout himself and his church? And was it not apparent to everyone that Warren "...rewarded the Republican candidate by scrupulously avoiding follow-up questions or interrupting his stump speeches."?

I grew up a Baptist. And politics was NEVER a part of the religious scene. NEVER! Today, it has become the norm for churches/preachers to openly denounce one candidate and support the other.

Tax exemptions? I think they need to be pulled!

[FloridaShutterBug]

Well said!

He's not even in the same ball park as Billy Graham. Billy Graham would NEVER have run a scam like the one Saturday night.

Obama 'won' the coin toss? Since McCain wasn't even there I guess he pretty well had to, didn't he?

[jackie2]

NEITHER McCain nor Obama were present for the coin toss-On Monday's Larry King Show Pastor Warren said he flipped the coin himself a month before the forum & that the 2 senators were not there- Larry asked him about it because someone had emailed the question to the program-But ,of course, Obama won, which gave McCain quite an advantage as it turns out-

[schatsie]

The throw up line was the 40,000,000 abortions. Of course the man cares that 27,000,000 children are dying each year because we as a civilization do not care enough to do any thing about it. And of course the man cares about the 40,000,000 children who have grown up in POVERTY in our own country and the fact of the missed opportunities for these children. and of course he cares about the children of the soldiers and of course he cares about the offshoring of jobs so that there is no middle class any longer and of course he cares about the offshoring of revenues so that the corporations do not pay taxes and of course he cares that Warren Buffett and Bill Gates pay 17% of their income in taxes... while we working class stiffs are paying 34% or more...

Yes this man really cares about the least of us...

[11907281]

Come on, we all know this was a charade, O was there to just give these 2 walking commercials some credibility. Was the suffering of the Iraqi people talked about? How about lying about someone to make them look bad? And what's the deal with the term "values voters"? Because I think claiming to know the creator of the universe's rule book is beyond arrogant, I have no values?

[BADEN]

Money makes the world go around....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkRIbUT6u7Q

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

Bottom line: There are coffers to be filled. There are people willing to fill said coffers if they hear what they want to hear. The music, the pontificating - all part of the schtick.