Saddleback Church in California has responded to a number of conservative Christians in the US after they condemned the church’s leader, Purpose-Driven author Pastor Rick Warren, for not disciplining Rupert Murdoch over his plans to run porn channels in Europe.
Chris Rosebrough, head of the US-based Christian Accountability Network, was one of a number of Christians who said that Pastor Warren should “call Murdoch to repentance and/or put him out of the church”.
“If Pastor Warren does not act swiftly and call on Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp, to dismantle his porn distribution network, then the credibility of the Christian message will be compromised around the globe,” said Rosebrough.
David Chrzan, Chief of Staff at Saddleback Church, highlighted in a response, however, that Murdoch was not a member of Saddleback Church, located in Orange County California, and that he had never even attended a service there.
Mr Chrzan said that any attempt on the part of Pastor Warren “to exercise biblical authority he doesn’t have would be presumptuous and inappropriate”.
He added that Pastor Warren had the God-given responsibility to speak to personal and societal needs and the biblical mandate to discipline Saddleback Church members.
“But with regard to his 'obligations' to admonish Mr. Murdoch, he has no jurisdiction over him. Even if Mr. Murdoch were a member of Saddleback, any spiritual counsel would be private and personal - not public,” he said.
