Richard Duane Warren

1954 – present

Founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of The Purpose Driven Life, one of the best-selling non-fiction books ever published.

Biography

Rick Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980 with a Bible study in his apartment, having chosen the location by studying census data for the fastest-growing county in America without a strong church presence. Saddleback grew across four decades into one of the largest congregations in the United States, and Warren's method — start with the unchurched person's questions, organize the church around five purposes, teach in accessible language — was codified in The Purpose Driven Church and then, for individuals, in The Purpose Driven Life, which sold in the tens of millions and was translated into dozens of languages. His preaching is topical, practical, and heavily outlined, built to be taken home and used. Warren has drawn criticism from more traditional quarters for seeker-oriented method and for what critics call a pragmatic approach to church growth. He stepped down from Saddleback's pulpit in 2022, handing the church to Andy Wood; Saddleback was subsequently removed from Southern Baptist Convention membership over its ordination of women pastors, a decision Warren publicly contested.

Legacy

Few books have shaped how ordinary Christians talk about their own lives more than The Purpose Driven Life, and few methods have been adopted by more churches than the purpose-driven model. Warren's outlines remain a common starting point for pastors building a topical series.

Notable Sermons

Copyright & Usage

Rick Warren's messages remain copyrighted by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and Saddleback Church. The archive is freely accessible for personal study but not for redistribution.

Where to Read More

• Pastor Rick — Daily Hope
• Saddleback Church

Where to Find the Full Rick Warren Archive

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