A local campus of Rick Warren’s California Saddleback Church hosted special Memorial Day services on Sunday, including a visit from a local wounded warrior:

Machine gunner Sedrick Hay, who has been a part of 2nd Battalion 1st Marines, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines and currently, the Wounded Warrior Battalion, will share his story that includes having been deployed three times, once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. He is a member of Saddleback Church and will lead those attending in a moment of prayer.

The article notes this is not a one-off ministry event for Saddleback. Rather, the church has partnered with the military at Camp Pendleton to provide a variety of support services for members of the military: 

The Saddleback San Clemente campus has come alongside the military community at Camp Pendleton in love for several years, and has ministries that include counseling and support groups for those struggling with PSTD, monthly barbecues with Wounded Warriors, quarterly baby showers for young women in the military, and back-to-school backpack giveaways…

Such acts are as much a social ministry as a spiritual one, though members of the military can benefit from both. Camp Pendleton has occasionally come under criticism in response for allowing churches to work with its Marines — most notably, by former active duty atheist Marine and Michael “Mikey” Weinstein acolyte Paul Loebe and his predecessor, Justin Griffith.

It seems, though, Camp Pendleton ignored the criticism, and Marines continue to get the support they want and need.

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