Richard D. "Rick" Warren (born January 28, 1954) is the founding and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California, the largest Christian church in California. He is also the best-selling author of many Christian books, including The Purpose Driven Life, and an influential evangelical leader. is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Saddleback Community Church (or just Saddleback Church) is an evangelical Christian church located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... The Purpose Driven Life book cover The Purpose Driven Life (2002) is a devotional book written by Christian author Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. ... Look up Evangelical in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Biography

Warren was born in San Jose, California, in 1954, the son of Jimmy and Dot Warren. His father was a Baptist minister, his mother a high school librarian. Warren has a sister (Chaundel, who is married to Saddleback pastor Tom Holliday) and had a brother (Jimmy Warren, Jr., who died in 2007). He attended Ukiah High School and graduated in 1972. For other uses, see San José. Nickname: Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ...

Thereafter, Warren obtained a bachelor of arts degree from California Baptist University in Riverside, his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1979) in Fort Worth, and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He also holds several honorary doctorates.^[4] He has lectured in the cities of Oxford, Cambridge, and at the University of Judaism (for Synagogue 3000), and the Evangelical Theological Society, among numerous seminaries and universities.^[5] A B.A. issued from the University of Tennessee. ... California Baptist University is a private, Christian, liberal arts institution located in Riverside, California, USA. Originally founded in 1950 as California Baptist College, Cal Baptist, which the college is affectionately known as, is one of the educational institutions run by the Southern Baptist Convention. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Riverside Government  - Mayor Ron Loveridge Area  - City  78. ... ‹ The template below is being considered for deletion. ... Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, whose stated mission is to provide theological education for individuals engaging in Christian ministry. ... Nickname: Motto: Where the West Begins Location of Fort Worth in Tarrant County, Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Tarrant, Denton Government  - Mayor Michael J. Moncrief Area  - City 298. ... Fuller Theological Seminary, located in Pasadena, California, is the largest multi denominational seminary in the world. ... Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... The University of Judaism, informally known as the UJ, is a university with Jewish undergraduate, graduate, rabbinic, cantorial, and continuing education studies. ... The Evangelical Theological Society (est. ...

Warren has been invited to speak at national and international forums including The United Nations, The World Economic Forum in Davos, The African Union, The Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, TED, and TIME’s Global Health Summit. He is also a signer of a statement concerning the global warming initiative.^[6] UN and U.N. redirect here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Davos viewed from air Davos is a town in eastern Switzerland, in the canton of Graubünden, on the Landwasser River. ... Anthem Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together [1] Administrative Centre Largest city Cairo, Egypt Working languages Arabic English French Portuguese Swahili Membership 53 African states Leaders  -  Chairman John Kufuor  -  Alpha Oumar Konaré Establishment  -  as the OAU May 25, 1963   -  as the African Union July 9, 2002  Area  -  Total 29... The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an influential and independent, nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (corner Park Avenue) in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. Through its membership, meetings, and studies, it has been... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government is a public policy school and one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ... TED (Technology Entertainment Design),TED talks, TEDtalks, or TED Global is a forum for revolutionary ideas held annually in Monterey, California and recently in other cities around the world. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. ...

Warren was named one of "America's Top 25 Leaders" in the October 31, 2005 issue of U.S. News and World Report.^[7] Warren was elected by TIME magazine as one of 15 World Leaders Who Mattered Most in 2004 and one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" (2005).^[8] Newsweek magazine called him one of "15 People Who Make America Great", an award given to people who, through bravery or generosity, genius or passion, devote themselves to helping others.^[9] U.S. News & World Report is a weekly newsmagazine. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ...

Warren has been married to Elizabeth K. Warren (Kay) for thirty years. They have three adult children (Amy, Josh and Matthew) and three grandchildren. He considers Billy Graham, Peter Drucker, and his own father (who was himself a Baptist pastor and an Southern Baptist Convention missionary), to be among his mentors.^[10] For other persons named Billy Graham, see Billy Graham (disambiguation). ... Peter Ferdinand Drucker (November 19, 1909–November 11, 2005) was a writer, management consultant and university professor. ... The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based Christian denomination that consists of numerous agencies including six seminaries, two mission boards and a variety of other organizations such as: the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, which can act for the SBC ad interim between annual meetings...

Ministry

Rick and Kay Warren have donated 90% of their income through three foundations: Acts of Mercy, which serves those infected and affected by AIDS, Equipping the Church, which trains church leaders in developing countries, and The Global P.E.A.C.E. Fund, which fights poverty, disease, and illiteracy.^[11]

Rick and Kay also are directors of the following non-profit corporate fund streams/assets:

• Saddleback Church, with an annual budget of US$30 million^[12]
• Acts of Mercy, which had US$8 million ending 2004^[13]
• Purpose Driven Ministries, with US$47 million in gross receipts in 2004^[14]
• The Global Fund
• RKW Legacy Partners
• Equipping the Church

Warren no longer takes a salary from Saddleback Church and repaid all of his salary from the last 25 years back to the church, due to the success of his book sales. He now says he "reverse tithes", meaning giving away 90% of his income and living off of 10%.^[15]

Purpose Driven

Over 400,000 pastors and church leaders from around the world have attended a seminar or conference led by Warren and other pastors who share best practices as they seek to be more effective in fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. The term Purpose Driven refers to these pastors' attempt to balance the five purposes of Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, and Evangelism in their churches. Saddleback Church also started a web-site PurposeDriven.com to help communicate and coordinate the community. In Christian tradition, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread the faith to all the world. ... Overview The Great Commandment is found in the Bible in Mark chapter 12 verses 28-31. ...

Over the years, Christian leaders in 162 countries have used materials which stem from this movement. Through this organization over 400,000 ministers and priests have been trained worldwide in his theology and practical methods. 189,000 church leaders subscribe to Ministry Toolbox, the weekly newsletter.^[16]

Criticisms

Warren's books have come under criticism from some Christian groups who question the practices promoted in these books, claiming that they distort the gospel or otherwise employ questionable tactics, including New Age teachings.^[17] Other common criticisms include objections to the accuracy with which it presents the Christian gospel, the accuracy of their Biblical exegesis, and various allegedly unbiblical teachings.^[18] However, there is also a significant percentage of evangelical teachers who agree with Warren.^{[citation needed]} Most of what his critics espouse is either unfounded, taken way out of context, or simply not true. (See Rick Warren and the Purpose That Drives Him: An Insider Looks at the Phenomenal Best Seller by Richard Abanes (ISBN 9780736917384) for a comprehensive refutation.) New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ... Exegesis (from the Greek to lead out) involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a holy scripture, such as of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Talmud, the Midrash, the Quran, etc. ...

Warren says he is inclusive beyond his Southern Baptist roots, and welcomes pastors and leaders from all denominations to his training programs.^{[citation needed]} Warren claims to stick to the "essentials" of the faith and focus on "loving people into the Kingdom" of God in an attractive way without compromising the essential tenets of his faith.^[19] Many critics, however, contend that Warren does compromise on various doctrinal truths in his teachings, and that he espouses ecumenical teachings.^[1][2][3] Rick Warren has also come under fire for his appearance at the 2006 Centenary of the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, which also had Word of Faith preachers such as Benny Hinn , T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, and Creflo Dollar as guests.^{[citation needed]} Warren also has been criticized for stating that it is not necessary to study Bible prophecy.^{[verification needed]} The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based Christian denomination that consists of numerous agencies including six seminaries, two mission boards and a variety of other organizations such as: the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, which can act for the SBC ad interim between annual meetings... The Azusa Street Revival was a Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Word of Faith, also known as Word-Faith or simply Faith, is a teaching within neo-pentecostal and charismatic churches worldwide. ... Tofik Benedictus Benny Hinn (born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular Miracle Crusades – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities. ... Bishop T.D. (Thomas Dexter) Jakes is an American televangelist. ... Kenneth Copeland (born December 6, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas) is a prominent and highly controversial Word of Faith television evangelist and the founder of a Christian religious organization called Kenneth Copeland Ministries. ... Creflo Augustus Dollar, Jr. ... For other uses, see Prophecy (disambiguation). ...

Warren was also heavily criticized by evangelical Christians when he was one of several prominent evangelical leaders to sign the highly controversial Global Warming Pact, primarily co-signed by non-Christians and liberal mainline Christians.^{[verification needed]} Many evangelicals took this as a sign that Warren had abandoned the conservative political views of the majority of evangelicals, most of whom are skeptical of global warming theories.^{[citation needed]} Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The word evangelicalism often refers to... Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. ...

In December 2006, Warren again drew the ire of fellow evangelicals when he invited Democratic Presidential candidate, Barack Obama to speak at a global AIDS conference held at Warren's Saddleback Church in Orange County, California. Many evangelicals felt that this confirmed Warren's rumored liberal political views.^{[verification needed]} Warren vehemently defended himself, stating that he had also invited Republican Senator Sam Brownback to speak and that he did not share Obama's support of abortion. However, this did little to alleviate fellow evangelicals suspicions that Warren had "gone liberal." In November 2007, it was announced that Warren had invited another Democrat, Hillary Clinton, to speak at the 2007 AIDS conference at Saddleback; although he invited Republican candidates as well, Huckabee, Romney, and McCain only appeared via video.^{[verification needed]} Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... “Barack” redirects here. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... Saddleback Community Church (or just Saddleback Church) is an evangelical Christian church located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County. ... Cities in Orange County Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. ... GOP redirects here. ... Samuel Dale Brownback (b. ... REDIRECT Hillary Rodham Clinton   This is a redirect from a title with another method of capitalisation. ...

Critics

There are a number of pastors, ministries and authors throughout the world who are critical of Warren and his teachings{fact|December 2007}, including Dr. John MacArthur, who addressed Warren in a chapter in his book, Fool's Gold. Other critics include Chuck Smith, Jimmy Swaggart, Dave Hunt, Daniel Dennett, David Cloud, Berit Kjos, Texe Marrs, and Dr. Noah Hutchings.^{[verification needed]} John MacArthur John F. MacArthur, Jr. ... Charles Chuck Ward Smith (born June 25, 1927) is the founder of Calvary Chapel and is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. ... Jimmy Lee Swaggart (born March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism who reached the height of his popularity in the 1980s. ... Dave Hunt (1926 – ) is a Christian apologist, speaker, radio commentator and author. ... Daniel Clement Dennett (born March 28, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a prominent American philosopher whose research centers on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. ... Texe W. Marrs is an American preacher from Austin, Texas. ... Noah Hutchings is the president of Southwest Radio Church Ministries, a Christian broadcasting company. ...

Wall Street Journal

Others express concern over what is described as the divisive nature of Warren's techniques. September 5, 2006, Wall Street Journal writer, Suzanne Sataline, published "Strategy for Church Growth Splits Congregants".^[20] Sataline cites example of congregations who have split over purpose-driven growth strategies.{fact|december 2007} Congregations nationwide have split or expelled members who fought purpose driven changes and despite successes elsewhere, the exodus at some churches adopting the purpose-driven approach has been dramatic, Sataline noted. It should be stated that upon investigation these allegations proved to be unfounded. A response was posted on A Rick Warren Blog.

See also

• Rick Warren's Ministry Podcast
• Saddleback Church
• The Purpose Driven Life
• The Purpose Driven Church
• Purpose Driven
• P.E.A.C.E. Plan
• Bill Hybels
• Brian McLaren
• Joel Osteen
• Emerging church

Saddleback Community Church (or just Saddleback Church) is an evangelical Christian church located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County. ... The Purpose Driven Life book cover The Purpose Driven Life (2002) is a devotional book written by Christian author Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. ... The Purpose Driven Church is a book written by Rick Warren, founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in California, USA. It gives advice to pastors on how to run their churches and how to make them successful. ... Purpose Driven is a term coined by Rick Warren to name the philosophy which focuses one structuring life, family, career, and church around five purposes which Warren identifies in scripture as having been given by Jesus Christ: to know and love God (worship), to love others (fellowship), to grow spiritually... The P.E.A.C.E. Plan is an initiative begun by Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. ... William Hybels (born 1952, Kalamazoo, Michigan) is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. ... Brian D. McLaren is a prominent, controversial voice in the Emerging Church movement. ... Joel Scott Hayley Osteen (born March 5, 1963[2] in Houston, Texas) is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, North America’s largest[3] and 2006s fastest growing church,[4] averaging more than 47,000 attendees at weekly services. ... The emerging church (also known as the emerging church movement) is a controversial[1] 21st-century Protestant Christian movement whose participants seek and to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched. ...

Notes

• ^  40 Days of Purpose/Rick Warren Biography
• ^  Ibid.
• ^  New York Times - Evangelical Leaders Join Global Warming Initiative
• ^  http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/051031/31warren.htm U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Leaders"
• ^  Time - Rick Warren
• ^  Rick Warren profile including his 90% "reverse tithe"
• ^  Wall Street Journal - A Popular Strategy For Church Growth Splits Congregants
• ^  Newsweek's 15 People Who make America Great
• ^  Rick Warren's Presence at 'Azusa Street' Questioned
• ^  Moriel.org's apologetics page regarding Purpose Driven
• ^  InPlainSite.org reviews of Warren's books and teachings
• ^  News relating P.E.A.C.E plan and Rupert Murdoch
• ^  Strategy for church growth splits congregants, Suzanne Sataline, The Wall Street Journal, September 5 2006
• ^  News concerning Warren's meeting with Syrian president
• ^  Purpose Driven Terror? Rick Warren's Syria Trip an Outrage
• ^  Council of Foreign Relations of US concerning Syria
• ^  Rick Warren at www.purposedrivenlife.com
• ^  CNN live interview transcript, November 22, 2004
• ^  GuideStar IRS guide
• ^  Audio of Warren's Syria video

Bibliography

• The Purpose Driven Church (ISBN 0-310-20106-3)
• The Purpose Driven Life (ISBN 0-310-20571-9)
• Answers to Life's Difficult Questions (ISBN 0-9660895-2-9)
• The Power to Change Your Life(ISBN 0-9660895-1-0)
• What on Earth Am I Here For? Booklet (ISBN 0-310-26483-9)
• Personal Bible Study Methods (ISBN 0-9660895-0-2)

References

External links

• Rick Warren's Ministry Podcast
• A Blog about Rick Warren
• Saddleback Church
• Purpose Driven Church
• Purpose Driven Life
• The P.E.A.C.E. Plan
• Rick Warren
• Columns in The Christian Post
• Libros y Audiolibro del autor en Español
• Pastor Rick Warren's 22 min Talk at TED Conference (2006) Monterey, CA
• Event Transcript "Myths of the Modern Mega-Church" with speaker Rick Warren and respondent David Brooks
• The God Debate Warren v. Sam Harris, Newsweek (Introduction: Religion: Is God Real? By Jon Meacham)
• New Yorker article on the ministry of Rick Warren by Malcolm Gladwell, reprinted at Pastors.com (retrieved August 28, 2007)

The Christian Post is a pan-denominational, Evangelical-leaning Christian newspaper based in Washington, D.C.. It is an operating division of The Christian Post Company - a multimedia firm whose principal member productions include digital publications ( www. ... TED (Technology Entertainment Design),TED talks, TEDtalks, or TED Global is a forum for revolutionary ideas held annually in Monterey, California and recently in other cities around the world. ... For other persons named Sam Harris, see Sam Harris (disambiguation). ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ... Jon Meacham is the managing editor of Newsweek and is mostly recently the author of the book American Gospel, published in April by Random House. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Criticism of Rick Warren

• Christian Apologetics Website Critical of Warren's Teachings
• Rick Warren's Presence at 'Azusa Street' Questioned
• Eastern Regional Watch
• Lighthouse Trails Research Project
• Pastor Chuck Smith issues a recall of Purpose Driven Life, and Rick Warren's books
• The Apostasy of Rick Warren
• Critical Issues Commentary, Radio Broadcast, Redefining Christianity, Bob DeWaay & Brian Flynn
• "Meditation" is Common Ground
• Rick Warren Needs An End-time Perspective
• The Gospel According to Warren by Gary E. Gilley
• lifechurchvsiraq.com Warren disciple Craig Groeschel