Visits by McCain , Obama to Orange County church underscore Pastor Rick Warren ' s prominence Allen J . Schaben , Los Angeles TimesSen . Barack Obama ( D - Ill . ) , left , and Sen . Sam Brownback ( R - Kan . ) , right , join Pastor Rick Warren at the 2006 Global Summit on AIDS and the Church at Saddleback Church . Backers say the Saddleback Church leader and ' The Purpose Driven Life ' author puts social justice ahead of partisanship . Others say he ' s strayed from the core Gospel or is a spiritual entrepreneur . By Duke Helfand , Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 13 , 2008 When John McCain and Barack Obama appear on the same stage Saturday at the sprawling religious campus of Orange County ' s Saddleback Church , their presence will vividly underline the reach that has made Pastor Rick Warren among the most significant evangelists of his generation . But the joint appearance -- one of Warren ' s highest - profile endeavors -- will also underscore a tension that is central to his role . Warren has been called perhaps " America ' s most influential pastor , " an evangelical megastar who leads the nation ' s fourth - largest church , reaches thousands of ministers through the Internet and crusades against poverty and AIDS . That globe - trotting work -- and his phenomenally successful book , " The Purpose Driven Life " -- have propelled him into the vanguard of a movement that inspires young and socially conscious Christians . But Warren ' s willingness to soft - pedal political issues once central to U . S . evangelicals , such as opposition to abortion , has opened him to criticism that he has strayed from his calling to spread the Gospel . It ' s likely that both fans and critics will be watching closely when Warren plays host to the two presidential contenders at his church complex in Lake Forest , home to 22 , 000 weekend worshipers . The presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees won ' t debate during the Civil Forum on the Presidency . But they will make a brief joint appearance , their first of the campaign , and Warren will interview each separately about the Constitution , poverty , AIDS , human rights and other subjects . " America has a choice . It ' s not between a stud and a dud this year , " Warren said . " Both of these men care about America . My job is to let them share their views . " Many evangelicals believe that Warren ' s growing profile , and his willingness to welcome Obama to his pulpit , are evidence that he has emerged as the most pivotal figure in U . S . evangelicalism . The 54 - year - old pastor , they say , is emblematic of a new breed of evangelicals who put social justice ahead of partisan politics . Some go so far as to call the plain - talking Warren , a bear of a man who prefers bluejeans to business suits , the Billy Graham of his era . " He ' s a guy whose message has met the right moment , " said Richard Land , a leading authority with the Southern Baptist Convention , the denomination to which Warren ' s church belongs . An excerpt from a letter Warren sent to his congregants suggests his reach . He noted that three Republican and three Democratic presidential candidates contacted the church during the primaries : " You know that I never endorse , nor campaign for , political candidates . Neither is it my role to give political advice . But I am a cultural observer and I do understand the unique stresses and responsibilities of public leadership , so I try to help leaders when asked . " But detractors see Warren as a spiritual entrepreneur who has built his religious empire on what they call generic self - help ideas found in " The Purpose Driven Life . "" For many evangelical leaders , Rick Warren is either a little too naive or a little too shrewd , " said the Rev . Rob Schenck , president of the National Clergy Council , a Washington group that works to meld Christian teachings into the debate over public policies . " He is threatening to water down the essential message of evangelical Christianity , " Schenck said . " And that is what causes people to grow a little insecure and concerned , and maybe even disconcerted . " Warren insists that he remains firmly tied to his Southern Baptist roots . He opposes abortion and defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman . He has hosted politically conservative figures , such as Sen . Sam Brownback ( R - Kan . ). But Warren says he is also inspired by the broader message of faith and compassion in the Bible . The forum with McCain and Obama , he said , is his latest attempt to introduce civility into public discourse , even if it irks some of his fellow evangelicals . Warren faced biting criticism in 2006 when Obama spoke at his church for a global AIDS summit . Last year Sen . Hillary Rodham Clinton ( D - N . Y . ) appeared at another AIDS conference at the church . " Jesus told us to love our neighbor , " Warren said , " even if they don ' t agree with you . " That message -- and another perhaps more central one about divining God ' s purpose -- have helped Warren build one of the nation ' s most formidable religious networks . At the center of the operation is Saddleback Church , which occupies 120 acres in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains . The church , with nearly 400 employees , features nine types of weekend services , including one in the cavernous " worship center , " with seating for about 3 , 000 and Warren ' s image beamed on jumbo screens . More than 180 , 000 pastors and other church leaders subscribe to his weekly " ministry toolbox " e - mail . " The Purpose Driven Life , " published in 2002 , helped create this reach . " It not about you , " Warren writes in the opening of the book , which has sold 35 million copies . " The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment , your peace of mind , or even your happiness . . . . If you want to know why you were placed on this planet , you must begin with God . " The senior managing editor of ChristianityToday , Mark Galli , said Warren " has that gift of being able to popularize ideas that are in some ways commonplace . " Galli ' s magazine in 2002 described Warren as " just a regular guy who may be America ' s most influential pastor . " Warren now wants to mobilize 1 billion Christians to attack what he calls " five global giants ": spiritual emptiness , corrupt leadership , poverty , disease and illiteracy . His church has already dispatched more than 7 , 000 volunteers to dozens of developing and Third World countries . Rwanda ' s president , Paul Kagame , has spoken of his country becoming " the first purpose - driven nation . " Following the lead of his wife , Kay , Warren has also championed the fight against AIDS in Africa , rallying support for U . S . relief programs . Warren interrupted a recent monthlong South American tour to watch President Bush sign a bill reauthorizing the AIDS funding . Kay Warren joined him . Warren is playing an increasingly prominent role on the international stage . Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is scheduled to speak at Saddleback Church next month . And Warren plans to visit Kenya , at the invitation of its parliament , to conduct a training session . His growing portfolio has attracted criticism . " It ' s not our business to make friends with all of the political leaders of the world , " said Bob DeWaay , an evangelical minister from Minnesota whose book , " Redefining Christianity : Understanding the Purpose Driven Movement , " critiques Warren ' s work . " We have a message about how people get right with God , not about how the world is going to get rid of its problems , " DeWaay said . Warren insists that he is doing God ' s work , if on a scale that most churches can only imagine . " As a pastor , if you love people , they will follow you , " he said . " I believe that Jesus Christ changes lives . " duke . helfand @ latimes . comSaddleback ' s Civil Forum will be carried by CNN at 5 p . m . Saturday . http : / / www . latimes . com / news / politics / la - me - warren 13 - 2008 aug 13 , 0 , 1818950 . story ? page = 2 I Need Your Input & Prayers Dear fellow pastor and church leader , This next Saturday , August 16 , 2008 , I will interview Senators John McCain and Barack Obama for an hour each at our nationally televised Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency . The following morning I will be preaching a message entitled “ The Kind of Leadership America Needs . ” I ’ d value your opinion and feedback . What question would you ask BOTH candidates if you had the chance ? Please frame your question in a way that it could be asked of both candidates ( to be fair ) and email it to me at pastorrick @ saddleback . net . This would be a great help to me . We ’ re in this together . I also ask you to pray I ’ ll have the necessary wisdom . This will be an historic event . Never have the two candidates been interviewed by a pastor in a church . It will be a great day for all churches , showing the importance of the local church being at the civil table . I thank God he has called you to serve Him . For the global glory of God . RickRick WarrenSaddleback ChurchPurpose Driven NetworkThe Global PEACE Coalition