Rick Warren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rick Warren |
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Rick Warren at Saddleback Church Buenos Aires in 2016
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| Church | Saddleback Church |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Richard Duane Warren |
| Born | January 28, 1954 San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Spouse | Kay Warren (m. 1975) |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Founding pastor, author, Executive director Finishing The Task |
| Education |
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Richard Duane Warren, born on January 28, 1954, is an American pastor and author. He is famous for starting Saddleback Church, a very large Baptist church in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he has been the executive director of the Finishing the Task mission group.
Contents
Early Life and School
Rick Warren was born in San Jose, California. His father was a Baptist minister, and his mother was a high school librarian. He grew up in Ukiah, California, and finished Ukiah High School in 1972. While there, he started the first Christian club on his school's campus.
Warren went to several universities to study. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California Baptist University. He then received a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1979. Later, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Rick Warren's Ministry Work
Rick Warren says he felt called to work in full-time ministry when he was 19 years old. This was when he was a student at California Baptist University. In 1973, he went to hear a famous preacher named W. A. Criswell. Warren waited to shake Criswell's hand, and Criswell prayed for him.
While studying at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Warren worked at the Texas Ranch for Christ. Here, he started writing books. He wrote two books with Billie Hanks Jr. and Wayne Watts: The Victory Scripture Memory Series and Twelve Dynamic Bible Study Methods for Laity.
Starting Saddleback Church
In January 1980, Rick Warren and his wife started a Bible study group with seven people in their home in Orange County, California. A few months later, in April 1980, Saddleback Church held its first public service. This was on Easter Sunday at the Laguna Hills High School Theater. About 200 people attended.
Warren's ideas for church growth helped the church expand quickly. Over 35 years, the church used nearly 80 different buildings. Today, about 20,000 people attend Saddleback Church each week.
Speaking to Leaders
Rick Warren has been asked to speak at important meetings around the world. These include the United Nations, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the African Union. He has also spoken at Harvard Kennedy School and TED. Since 2005, he has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
In 2008, Warren hosted a special event called the Civil Forum on the Presidency at Saddleback Church. This event featured senators John McCain and Barack Obama. It was their first time appearing together as presidential candidates and was shown live on national television.
In December 2008, President-elect Obama asked Warren to give a prayer at his inauguration ceremony. Warren gave the prayer the next day, and many people praised its positive message.
In 2010, Warren was chosen to lead a prayer at the inauguration of the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. He has been part of President Kagame's advisory council since then.
Changes at Saddleback
In June 2021, Rick Warren announced he would retire as the senior pastor of Saddleback Church. He stayed until a new leader was chosen. In January 2022, he became the executive director of Finishing the Task, a group focused on missions. In August 2022, Warren officially stepped down as lead pastor. He still holds a role as a founding pastor.
In May 2023, Warren became the first honorary chancellor of Spurgeon's College. The next month, during the annual Southern Baptist Convention, Saddleback Church was removed from the Convention. This happened because the church hired a female pastor. Warren then spoke out in favor of allowing women to be ordained as pastors.
Purpose Driven Ministry
Rick Warren developed a way of thinking about ministry called the "Purpose Driven" philosophy. He taught these ideas to pastors who contacted him in the early days of Saddleback Church.
In 1995, Warren published his best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Church. This book shared many lessons he learned from starting Saddleback Church. It explained how to build a church around five main purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. He encouraged churches to reach their community, bring in a crowd, help people become members, help them grow in their faith, train them to serve, and send them out on a mission.
By 2004, more than 10,000 churches from different Christian groups had attended a seminar or conference led by Warren.
P.E.A.C.E. Plan
In 2003, Saddleback Church, along with Rick and Kay Warren, started the P.E.A.C.E. Plan. This program helps churches work on humanitarian development around the world.
Achievements and Recognition
Rick Warren has received many honors. In 2004, Time magazine named him one of the "leaders who mattered most." In April 2005, Time also named him one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."
In October 2005, U.S. News & World Report called him one of "America's Top 25 Leaders." In 2006, Newsweek named him one of "15 People Who Make America Great."
By 2006, his book The Purpose Driven Life had sold over 30 million copies. This made Warren a New York Times bestselling author.
Personal Life
Rick Warren married Kay Warren on June 21, 1975. They have three adult children and four grandchildren. He looks up to Billy Graham, Peter Drucker, and his own father as mentors.
In 2006, after his book The Purpose Driven Life became very successful, he decided to "reverse the tithe." This means he started giving away 90% of his income to three foundations. He also stopped taking a salary from the church.
In March 2014, Warren started a ministry at Saddleback Church to help people dealing with mental illness. This was called The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church.
Views on Society
Rick Warren is known for his views on social issues. He has been called a "new kind of evangelical leader." Warren says his views on traditional Christian beliefs have not changed.
In a discussion with author Sam Harris, Warren spoke about his belief in creationism. He also said that some brutal dictators, like Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin, were atheists.
In a 2005 interview, Warren shared his concerns about decisions to remove feeding tubes from people in a persistent vegetative state. He said that denying someone the right to live because they are disabled is wrong.
In 2008, Warren supported California Proposition 8. This was a proposal to change the California Constitution to remove the right of same-sex couples to marry. This view matched the official position of his church's denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. After the measure passed, his church faced protests.
In December 2012, Warren said that he believed same-sex marriage might become legal in the United States. However, based on his belief in the Bible, he said he did not "approve" of it. He felt that using the word "marriage" for same-sex partnerships changed the meaning of the word.
In a December 2012 interview, Warren said that religious freedom would be a major civil rights issue in the coming years. He stated that President Obama's actions were "unfriendly" to religion.
In a May 2014 article, Warren supported the owners of Hobby Lobby in a Supreme Court case. The case was about whether companies could get a religious exemption from providing certain health insurance benefits. Warren wrote that the government should not force people to go against their religious beliefs.
Books by Rick Warren
- The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life (ISBN: 978-0310344292)
- The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message And Mission (ISBN: 978-0310201069)
- The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (ISBN: 978-0310337508)
- Answers to Life's Difficult Questions (ISBN: 0966089529)
- The Power to Change Your Life (ISBN: 0966089510)
- What on Earth Am I Here For? Booklet (ISBN: 0310264839)
- Rick Warren's Bible Study Methods (Previously, "Personal Bible Study Methods") (ISBN: 0966089502)
- The Purpose of Christmas (ISBN: 978-1416559009)
- Words To Love By (ISBN: 978-0310752820)
- God's Great Love for You (ISBN: 978-0310752479)
- God's Big Plans for Me (ISBN: 978-0310750390)
- The Lord's Prayer (ISBN: 978-0310758501)
- The Purpose Driven Life: 100 Illustrated Devotions for Children (ISBN: 978-0310766742)
See also
In Spanish: Rick Warren para niños
- List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
- Celebrate Recovery
