Washington D.C., Jul 21, 2008 / 14:44 pm
The presumptive presidential nominees for the Republican and Democratic parties, Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, respectively, will make a joint appearance on August 16 at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion at Saddleback Church. The 22,000-member mega church, pastored by Dr. Rick Warren, is located in Orange County, California.
Dr. Warren made the announcement on Monday, saying in a statement:
“We're honored that the candidates chose The Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion for their first joint appearance, an unprecedented opportunity for America to hear both men back-to-back on the same platform. This is a critical time for our nation and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart - without interruption - in a civil and thoughtful format absent the partisan 'gotcha' questions that typically produce heat instead of light.”
The presidential primaries proved that Americans “care deeply about the faith, values, character and leadership convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues,” Warren said.