Rick Warren

Richard Duane Warren (born January 28, 1954) is an American evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder of Saddleback Church, an evangelical Baptist megachurch in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he serves as executive director of the Finishing the Task mission coalition. Rick Warren was born in San Jose, California, to Jimmy, a Baptist minister, and Dot Warren, a high-school librarian, and was raised in Ukiah, California. Warren earned a Bachelor of Arts from California Baptist University, followed by a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1979, and later a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980 in Orange County, California, beginning with a small Bible study group that quickly grew into a large congregation averaging nearly 20,000 attendees weekly. He developed the Purpose Driven philosophy of ministry, emphasizing church growth through five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. Warren authored The Purpose Driven Church in 1995 and later The Purpose Driven Life, both of which became widely influential, with the latter selling over 30 million copies. He also co-founded the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, a humanitarian initiative for churches, and has spoken at major international forums including the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and TED. Throughout his career, Warren has been involved in political and social issues, sometimes drawing controversy. He has publicly opposed same-sex marriage and supported California Proposition 8. He has worked with diverse religious communities and emphasized dialogue. Warren has received numerous recognitions, including Time’s "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2005, and has been active in humanitarian and mental health initiatives following the death of his son.