Andreas Thonhauser sat down with U.S. Pastor Rick Warren, outside of Rome in Fiuggi, Italy, where a conference took place focusing on the year 2033. When Pastor Rick Warren takes the stage at a Catholic conference, some may wonder why a prominent evangelical voice would be invited to speak on evangelization. But for Pastor Rick, the answer is simple: no single church can complete the Great Commission alone. In this wide-ranging conversation, he shares his vision for Christian unity, the urgency of evangelization ahead of the Church’s 2000th birthday in 2033, and his deep respect for Catholic partners in the mission.

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Hi Pastor Rick, maybe you can tell us a little bit about why you're speaking at a Catholic conference about evangelization? 

Because no single denomination can complete the Great Commission on their own. There are 2.5 billion people in the world who claim to believe in Jesus Christ. Now, that doesn't mean they are walking with Him or working with Him on a regular basis, but if you were to ask: 

• Do you believe in the Trinity—Father, Son, Holy Spirit? 
  Oh yeah. 
• Do you believe Jesus is who He said He was, the Son of God? 
  Yes. 
• Do you believe He died on the cross for our sins and rose again? 
  Yes. 
• Do you believe He sent the Holy Spirit to start the Church? 
  Yes. 

Well, then you're not a Muslim, you're not a Hindu, you're not a Buddhist. These are people I would call nominal Christians—maybe they have a “head knowledge” but not a “heart knowledge,” or they don't have a personal walk with the Lord on a daily basis. 

Of the 2.5 billion people who follow Jesus in the world, 1.3 billion are Catholic. That's about half of the Christian Church—an enormous part. I call this a sleeping giant. Napoleon once pointed to a map of China and said, "There lies a sleeping giant. If it ever awakes, it will shake the world." What we're doing is working with everybody who's interested in completing the Great Commission. We work with the full spectrum—Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, Pentecostals, mainline churches—all of them. Whoever is interested in the Great Commission. 

It might be obvious, but 2033—what is the objective there? 

Here's why that date is so important. According to our calendar, this is the year 2025. That means it's 2025 years since the birth of Christ. For instance, Jesus was one year old in the first year. The Bible says in the book of Luke that Christ started His ministry when He was 30 years old. That would be 30 AD. The Bible also tells us He had a 3 to 3.5-year ministry. So Christ died on the cross in 33 AD, rose again in 33 AD, gave the Great Commission, ascended back to heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit to start the Church—all in 33 AD. 

That means, on Pentecost Sunday, June 5th, 2033, it will be the 2000th birthday of Christianity, the 2000th birthday of the Church, and the 2000th celebration of the Resurrection. So all around the world, Christians from every tribe have been asking: How are we going to celebrate the 2000th birthday of Christ’s Church? 

People say, "What do you give God, who has everything?" Well, He doesn't have everything. He doesn't have our trust if we don't give it. He doesn't have our love or obedience unless we give it. So what does Jesus want for the 2000th birthday of His body on earth? 

He made it clear. He gave not one but five Great Commissions: 

• In Matthew, He says, "Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit... teaching them everything I’ve commanded you.” 
• In Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, He repeats this call. 

So we say, Jesus’ last words must be our first priority. 

I’ve been a pastor for nearly 55 years. I’ve stood at the bedside of hundreds of people taking their last breath. People don’t waste their last words. So what Jesus said—His last words—are very important. And what He said was: Take the message of the good news—of grace, mercy, love, and free salvation—to the whole world. 

So what Jesus wants most for His 2000th birthday is this: He wants His lost children found. 

How are we Catholics reacting to this? What do you find? 

I find universally people are saying, "Yes, this is what we need to be doing." There is a spirit of revival, renewal, and revitalization in the Body of Christ. It's happening among Catholics, and among other groups of Christians too. Especially in the youngest generation—Gen Z. Gen Z Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians—they're embracing this with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

Here’s the big idea: Nobody can complete the Great Commission alone, but together, if each does their part, it's not that hard. One out of every three people on earth claims to follow Christ. If each person just shared the good news with three others in the next eight years, we could reach the entire world. 

It’s not rocket science—it’s sheer volume. The Church is the biggest thing on planet Earth. 

But don’t you also find concern—some say, “You evangelicals want to take over Catholics,” or “Catholics want to take over evangelicals”? 

That’s not what this is about. We're not trying to take each other over. In John 17, Jesus prays His final prayer before going to the cross. Twice in that passage, He prays: 
"Father, I pray that they will be one so that the world may know," and again, 
"I pray that they will be one so that the world may believe." 

We’re never going to have cultural, structural, or even doctrinal unity. And that’s okay. It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. But we can agree on one thing: Every Christian is called to go. 

Catholics believe that. Protestants, Evangelicals, Orthodox, Pentecostals—we all agree. The unity is around the mission—so that the world may believe. 

Unity is about fellowship, learning from each other. Some people need a formal liturgy to connect with God—God wired them that way. Others don’t want any formality; they’re emotional and expressive. That’s okay. 

It’s like my family—we all listen to different kinds of music. If five people in one family can’t agree on a music style, why would every Christian agree on worship style? Diversity is a strength of the Church. If we had only one way to communicate the Gospel, we’d miss a lot of people. 

The kind of unity Christ wants in John 17? It requires loving variety, and a lot of humility—a willingness to listen, learn, and value differences. 

Even in one row in church, you’ll find 10 different personalities. God is the God of variety. He made 6,000 different varieties of beetles! If God went that far with beetles, how much more with people? 

To say, “God, you made a mistake, people should worship like me,” is arrogant. Your worship style says more about your personality and cultural background than your theology. 

And still, it’s possible to pray together. I saw you praying with Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk and other leaders. 

Absolutely. I’ll pray with anyone who believes Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life. I have many dear Catholic friends—people serving in Catholic orders, as nuns, brothers, monasteries. I’ve learned from the richness of all streams of Christianity. It enriches my life. 

We are in the Jubilee of Hope. Pope Francis called that out. What is your hope for this year and towards 2033? 

Hope is the most important thing we need. It’s the last thing to lose. When you lose hope, it’s over. What the world needs now is hope. 

Pope Francis called for the Year of Mercy. Our church—though not Catholic—also did the Year of Mercy. We thought it was a great theme. 

I’m not pastoring anymore—I retired from Saddleback after 43 years—but I would say: Any church that loves Jesus should do a Year of Hope. The world needs hope, and Christ is the hope of the world. The Church is the hope of the world because it has the message of hope to take to the world. 

Pastor Rick, thank you so much for being with us and for your testimony. 

It’s an honor. We love EWTN. It’s been a great ministry in my life.

FIND THE POPE'S BIOGRAPHY HERE

Adapted by Jacob Stein