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Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose-Driven Life, will be preaching to a global audience over Christmas thanks to Rupert Murdoch and the U.S. Defense Department.

Over Christmas eve and Christmas day, Murdoch's Fox News Channel will air "The Purpose of Christmas with Rick Warren," a program based on the first of 13 weekend services at Saddleback Church in Orange County, California. The Armed Services Television Network will air a similar message from Warren, potentially reaching 800,000 servicemen and their families stationed in more than 177 countries. A website ( www.thepeaceplan.com ) will direct viewers to local churches.

Last week, Tim Morgan, ct's deputy managing editor, spoke at length with Warren from New York City about his recent controversial trip to Syria, his commitment to fighting global poverty, and his plans for the new 40 Days of Vision to be launched in September 2007. This is an edited transcript.

World Net Daily columnist Joseph Farah has been hugely critical of your trip to Syria and your explanations, suggesting that you exhibit behavior "bordering on sociopathic." What's your reaction?

This is a fellow who's hooked his star to criticizing somebody. There's so many over-the-top things about it. There are lots of churches in Damascus [Syria]. I asked one person. He said maybe two or three hundred in Damascus. Most of them are the traditional churches. There's Syrian Orthodox and there's Greek Orthodox. But I met with the head of the evangelicals. He said they're getting ready to go into the building program because the Presbyterian church he leads—they've run out of space.

I will go anywhere in the world if I'm allowed to preach the gospel without hindrance. I'd go to Iran; I'd go to Syria; I'd go to North Korea. A lot of the criticisms have come from people who politicize the Christian faith. To them, politics is more important than winning people to Christ. In fact, I think one of the greatest damages to the church in the last 20 years has been the politicization of the church. I'm also tired of the church being known simply as a political tool and being co-opted by politicians.

Is the local church being asked to do too much to save the world from poverty and disease?

No—if everybody does their part. One drop of rain makes no difference at all, but a million drops of rain can turn a desert area into a garden. Is the Great Commission for every believer, or do you believe it's only for missionaries? We live in a world where we are the first generation that can actually to go into all the world. When Jesus gave that commandment, it was physically impossible for the disciples to go into all the world. If anybody had a right to be discouraged, it would be a group of Middle Eastern disciples who had no planes, trains, automobiles, fax machines, internet, cell phones, and were quite poor. Yet they accepted the task: We are to go into all the world. They didn't say, "Mission board go into all the world." They said, "All of us should go into all the world."

We are the wealthiest church in history. We are the most technologically advanced church. The option is — not an option. For 50 years or even longer, missions have been, where you either completely commit your life and move to Zanzibar and live there and serve there the rest of your life, or you don't do anything. As you know, the PEACE plan is about everybody doing something. If every Christian went on one single mission trip in their life, how would it change them? How would it change the church? How would it change churches around the world?

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December (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50