Pastors Warren and Lusk Stress Spiritual Purpose to 'Stand For Africa' With One Campaign at Live 8 Concert

Pastors Warren and Lusk Stress Spiritual Purpose to 'Stand For Africa' With One Campaign at Live 8 Concert

More Than 300 Local Pastors Participate In Training, Worship Rally and Prayer Breakfast Around Event

PHILADELPHIA, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Pastor Rick Warren, best-selling author of "The Purpose Driven Life," joined Greater Exodus Baptist Church Pastor Herb Lusk at the Philadelphia Live 8 concert, after mobilizing more than 300 local pastors in Purpose Driven training to "Stand for Africa" with the One Campaign, an effort to mobilize Americans to fight the emergency of global AIDS and poverty.

Following the training, Greater Exodus Baptist Church held a Friday night worship rally and a Saturday morning prayer breakfast in support of Africa prior to the Live 8 event.

While meeting with the world's media in the official press tent backstage, Pastor Warren thanked representatives for coming to an event that mattered, and explained why he thought it was important to show his support.

"This concert represents a broad coalition from every spectrum - including religious, political, social, and medical," Pastor Warren said. "Christians need to have a voice and show our concern for addressing critical issues like poverty and disease. This is the intersection of faith and culture - if Jesus walked the earth today, he'd be right here.

"I'm told there are more than 1 million people gathered on this site - not to provide pressure but to create awareness," Pastor Warren continued. "This event is about advocacy, not policy. We may not agree on priorities or procedures, but we all agree something must be done."

Pastor Warren noted the difference between the Live Aid event held more than 20 years ago and the Live 8 event. While the first gathering had similar passion and compassion, today there is a lot more organization and cooperation. One such outlet is the Global Purpose Driven P.E.A.C.E. Plan he is developing through a network of 400,000 churches to take on the five global giants of spiritual emptiness, corrupt leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy.

"These are not practical issues, they are human issues," Warren said. "The principle that all men are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness put forth in the Declaration of Independence signed just blocks away from the concert location are not just American, but can be applied globally -- including Africa.

"Africa doesn't need our pity, it needs our partnership; it doesn't need a handout, but rather a helping hand up. Africa is not a hardship case - there is enormous wealth in the land. We have to help Africans help themselves and create value out of available resources. I believe the best way to do that is through the church."

Prior to the concert, Warren joined One organizers in a rally on the steps behind the Philadelphia Art Museum to encourage young volunteers.

"Because you are involved in the One Campaign, you are interested in change," he said. "If you are serious about change, you need to do two things. First, focus on vision, not need; call out the greatness in people, not their guilt. Secondly, don't tell it like it is, but rather like it could be, should be, and may be.

"We don't want people to die of poverty or diseases for which we already have cures, because God loves them." Warren continued. I believe with all my heart we can do this - and I believe you are the generation to do it." 'Pastor Warren was joined on the platform by Pastor Herb Lusk, with whom he is partnering on the Purpose Driven "Stand for Africa" campaign.

"I was in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968 when the voice of Martin Luther King was silenced - it was the darkest day of my life." Pastor Lusk said. "But I look at Bono, Rick Warren, the One movement, and I realize that voice is still alive."

"I don't know all the statistics -- I'm just a country preacher - but I do know there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and one Father who is in us and above us all - and there is the One campaign."

Pastor Warren was back in Philadelphia to join Pastor Lusk in training more than 300 local pastors in the first ever city wide "40 Days of Purpose" campaign which will begin September 18 and culminate in a November 5 "Stand for Africa" Rally.

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: A. Larry Ross (469) 774-6362 Whitney Kelley (214) 457-1398

Source: Pastor Rick Warren

CONTACT: A. Larry Ross, +1-469-774-6362, or Whitney Kelley, +1-214-457-1398, both for

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information or interviews, please call A. Larry Ross at 469-774-6362 or Whitney Kelley at 214-457-1398.

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