Rick Warren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rick Warren |
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Warren 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 | non-denominational |
| Spouse | Kay Warren (m. 1975) |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Founding pastor, author, Executive director Finishing The Task |
| Education |
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Rick Warren, born on January 28, 1954, is an American pastor and author. He is famous for starting Saddleback Church, a very large Christian church in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he has been the executive director of a group called Finishing the Task, which helps with missions around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Duane Warren was born in San Jose, California. His father was a Baptist minister, which means he was a leader in a Baptist church. His mother was a high school librarian. Rick grew up in Ukiah, California. He finished Ukiah High School in 1972. While there, he started the first Christian club on his school's campus.
He went to California Baptist University in Riverside, California, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, he studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and received a Master of Divinity degree in 1979. He also studied at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree.
Ministry and Church Growth
Rick Warren felt called to work in ministry full-time when he was 19 years old. This was while he was a student at California Baptist University. In 1973, he traveled to San Francisco to hear a famous preacher named W. A. Criswell. After the sermon, Criswell prayed for Warren.
While studying at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Warren worked at the Texas Ranch for Christ. Here, he started writing books. He co-wrote two books, The Victory Scripture Memory Series and Twelve Dynamic Bible Study Methods for Laity.
In January 1980, Warren began a Bible study group with seven people and his wife in their home. 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 this first service. Warren's ideas for church growth helped the church expand quickly. Over 35 years, the church used almost 80 different locations. Today, about 20,000 people attend Saddleback Church each week.
In 2005, Warren spoke at a big meeting for Baptists worldwide. He said that a major Baptist group leaving the Alliance was a mistake. He believed that differences in beliefs should not stop churches from working together.
Global Influence and Events
Rick Warren has been invited to speak at many important events around the world. These include the United Nations, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and the African Union. He has also spoken at Harvard Kennedy School and for Time's Global Health Summit. Since 2005, he has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. This group discusses foreign policy.
In August 2008, Warren hosted a special event called the Civil Forum on the Presidency. This event featured senators John McCain and Barack Obama at Saddleback Church. It was the first time these two presidential candidates appeared together. The forum was shown live on national television.
In December 2008, President-elect Obama asked Warren to give a prayer at his inauguration ceremony. This decision caused some debate. However, Warren delivered the prayer at Obama's inauguration in January 2009. Many people praised his positive message.
In 2010, Warren was asked to lead a prayer at the inauguration of the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. Since then, he has been part of President Kagame's advisory council.
In June 2021, Warren announced he would be stepping down as the main pastor of Saddleback Church. He stayed until a new leader was chosen. In January 2022, he became the executive director of Finishing the Task. 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 a meeting of the 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 pastors.
Purpose Driven Philosophy
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 also explained how to build a church around five main purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. He encouraged churches to reach out to their community. The goal was to welcome people, help them become members, grow in their faith, become helpers, and then go out to help others.
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 around the world with humanitarian aid and community development.
Recognition and Books
In 2004, Time magazine named Rick Warren one of the "leaders who mattered most." In April 2005, Time also listed him as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." U.S. News & World Report named him one of "America's Top 25 Leaders" in October 2005. In 2006, Newsweek included him in their list of "15 People Who Make America Great."
By 2006, his book The Purpose Driven Life had sold more than 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 donating 90% of his income to three foundations. He also stopped taking a salary from the church.
Warren's youngest son, Matthew, died on April 6, 2013. He had struggled with mental illness for 10 years. After this sad event, more than 10,000 people wrote to Warren about their own struggles. In March 2014, Warren started a program at Saddleback Church. This program helps educate the church on how to support people dealing with mental illness.
Views and Beliefs
Rick Warren is known for his views on social issues. He has been called a "new kind of evangelical leader." However, he says his core beliefs have not changed.
In a discussion with author Sam Harris, Warren spoke against evolution. He supported the idea of creationism, which is the belief that the universe and life were created by a divine being. He also said that some brutal dictators were atheists.
In 2005, during a TV interview, Warren discussed a case where a woman in a coma had her feeding tube removed. He said that stopping her feeding was "not a right-to-die issue." He worried that if society started saying people with disabilities don't have a right to live, it could lead to terrible outcomes.
Before the 2008 U.S. election, Warren supported California Proposition 8. This was a proposal to change the California Constitution to prevent same-sex couples from marrying. This view was in line with his church's denomination. After the measure passed, his church faced protests.
In a December 2008 interview, Warren explained his views on marriage. He said he believes marriage is between a man and a woman. He later clarified that he does not compare gay relationships to other inappropriate relationships. He simply believes that using the word "marriage" for same-sex partnerships changes the traditional meaning of the word.
In a 2012 interview, Warren said that religious freedom would be a major civil rights issue in the future. He also stated that he felt President Obama's actions were "unfriendly" to religion.
In a May 2014 article, Warren supported the owners of Hobby Lobby. This company was involved in a Supreme Court case about providing employee health insurance. Warren wrote that the government should not force companies to go against their religious beliefs.
Works
- 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 (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
