Rick Warren, once nearly deified for building a huge church and writing wildly popular "40 Days" books, and more recently vilified for expanding the conservative political agenda beyond abortion and homosexuality, will host presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain in a public forum at Saddleback Church Aug. 16.

A story in Associated Baptist Press says Warren knew both men for a long time and thought, "These guys have never been together on the same stage, it would be a neat way to cap the primary season before they both go to the conventions and things go dark for a couple of weeks."

So Warren said, "I just called them up."

Both men agreed to appear before an audience of Christian activists in a "compassion forum" at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.

Warren will moderate the forum, which will focus on moral-values issues in which many centrist
and younger evangelicals have taken an increasing interest. It will be in a non-debate format and
Warren will interview the candidates separately for about an hour each.

Warren will pose all the questions and they will cover four primary areas: poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate and human rights.

Warren has lost favor recently because his dramatic plan to mobilize a billion Christians to address human needs in the world is not seen as spiritual enough.

In fact, Jeff Noblit of Muscle Shoals, Ala., used Warren as an example of insufficient theology at the Building Bridges Conference at Ridgecrest in November 2007. After saying the average church rejects the sufficiency of scripture in favor of "man centered pragmatism in doctrine and practice" Noblit said the difference between "using the scriptures and preaching the word" is the "difference between Rick Warren and John MacArthur."

Warren has initiated a P.E.A.C.E. plan at Saddleback that has church members interjecting themselves in Christian witness worldwide addressing human need in these areas. PEACE stands for Plant churches; Equip servant leaders; Assist the poor; Care for the sick; and Educate the next generation. He says initiating PEACE is why he was born.

Warren's concerns reflect--and maybe even focus--a growing disinterest in a sterile, institutional church experience and an attraction to dirty hands involvement bringing hope by meeting real human needs in the context of Christ centered love.

He will drill the candidates, in a friendly way, to pull to the surface their opinions on issues related to these areas and maybe, finally, initiate some conversation about things that matter to a broad, central band of Christians.

Of course, ABP reported that some Religious Right groups have reacted skeptically to the announcement. Tony Perkins, president of the Washington-based Family Research Council said he hopes Warren will also ask the candidates about issues -- such as abortion and gay rights -- that have been of paramount importance to conservative Christian voters in the past.

In a July 21 e-mail update sent to FRC supporters, Perkins said, "While the Left would have us
believe that this is the faith community's new agenda, a candid discussion of traditional values issues
such as life, marriage, and religious freedom is what American voters need and deserve. Surely Rev.
Warren won't ignore the most crucial initiative in his state (and perhaps the entire nation) as
California determines the fate of marriage this November."

There are plenty of people talking about homosexuality and abortion. If Warren can broaden the discussion more power to him.