Rick Warren battling a ‘debilitating’ autoimmune disease, communicates Warren in an interview this week.
While discussing his new book and ministry goal in an interview with The Stetzers ChurchLeaders Podcast on Wednesday, Rick Warren the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church disclosed that he has been battling with an autoimmune disease for two years. He said the disease is not life-threatening and will not last more than three to five years. However, Warren made known the health condition causes him pain and weakness.
“I’ve been in a two-year battle with an autoimmune disease,” Warren said to the host Ed Stetzer and co-host Daniel Yang. “It’s not life-threatening. It won’t even last. It lasts between three to five years. But without getting into all the details, the bottom line is it leaves my muscles, all my major muscles in pain pretty much 24 hours a day.” “It’s debilitating. It’s tough walking, working.”
Elucidating the challenges he faces owing to the disease as regards his ministry work and goals said “it hasn’t changed the way that I think. The problem is sometimes I feel like I am this brain on fire, and I’m like in a wheelchair. I’m not [literally] in a wheelchair, but the bottom line is, it’s difficult to move around.”
Rick Warren co-founded the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California with his wife Kay Warren in 1980. He retired in 2022 after over 40 years of ministry, announcing Andy Wood his successor. Andy Wood served as the lead pastor of Echo Church in the San Francisco Bay area. Since Warren’s retirement, he continues his ministry through his Daily Devotional and his podcast.
Warren is the bestselling author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” book. His most recently published book in 10 years is “Created to Dream”.