MEDIA ADVISORY

April 1, 2016

Freed Prison Inmate Becomes

Saddleback Church Pastor This Weekend.

He will Share His Story As A Part of

“The Miracle of Mercy” Campaign With Rick Warren

Danny Duchene, a double-lifer, was released after 32 years in prison

at the request of Pastor Rick Warren

Lake Forest, CA –  Danny Duchene was nearly 20 years into a double life sentence in California’s Sierra Prison when he first encountered Saddleback Church pastor, Rick Warren, through his bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life.

The book not only changed Danny’s life, it resulted in a Saddleback-inspired “Purpose-Driven Church” started by inmates in the prison, and the adoption of Saddleback’s Celebrate Recovery program by the correctional institution as its official recovery program. In the past 13 years, thousands of lives have been changed and prisons across America have followed Sierra’s example.

After 32 years in prison, Duchene was freed, partly in response to a letter sent by Pastor Rick Warren to the parole board asking that they do so in order to allow him to hire Duchene as a pastor at Saddleback Church.

This weekend, Danny Duchene will be officially installed as Pastor of Saddleback Church’s Prison Ministry. He will share his 32 year spiritual journey behind bars as a  part of Pastor Rick Warren’s message: “God Can Use Anybody.” The sermon is the second in a series of messages entitled, The Miracle of Mercy.

This weekend visit any one of Saddleback’s 16 campuses or watch LIVE online at www.saddleback.com/live.

NOTE: Photos and Videos available upon request.

Saddleback Church was founded by Pastor Rick and Kay Warren in 1980 in Lake Forest, CA. It is now the home nearly 40 thousand members with a weekly attendance of 26 thousand people at 16 campuses throughout Southern California, Hong Kong, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and South Manila.

Pastor Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church and best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life which has sold over 32 million copies. He is also the founder of the Global PEACE Plan which Promotes reconciliation, Equips leaders, Assists the poor, Cares for the sick, and Educates the next generation in 196 countries.

###