LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― The youngest son of prominent U.S. evangelical preacher Rick Warren has committed suicide after a long struggle with mental illness, the pastor’s church said Saturday.

Matthew Warren, 27, died on Friday following years of battling depression, a statement from the Saddleback Valley Community Church said.

The statement paid tribute to Matthew Warren as “an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many.”

In a letter to Saddleback staff from Rick Warren, which was released by the church, the pastor said his son had taken his life after suffering “a momentary wave of despair at his home.”