About Rick Warren
Dr. Warren is a pastor, theologian, global strategist, and philanthropist. National media have often named him as “America’s most influential spiritual leader” (1) and he is named in:
15 People Who Make America Great - Newsweek (06)
West Coast 100 - L.A. Times Magazine (06)
America’s 25 Best Leaders - U.S. News & World Report (06)
World’s 100 Most Powerful Stars - Forbes (06)
America’s Pastor - USA Today (06)
World’s 100 Most Influential People - TIME (05)
10 Most Influential Preachers of Past 50 Years - Christianity Today (05)
The Most Influential Evangelical in America - TIME (05)
America’s Most Influential Pastor - Christianity Today (04)
As a pastor, Dr. Warren founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., in 1980, with one family. Today, the congregation has 83,000 names on its roll and 23,000 in average attendance each weekend on its 120-acre campus. The church offers more than 300 community ministries in Jesus’ name to the poor, prisoners, addicts, those with HIV/AIDS, Down syndrome children, single parents, and hundreds of other groups. The church recently fed every homeless person in Orange County – three meals a day – for 40 days. In Forbes’ 100 list, Warren was the only person rated “trustworthy.”
Warren also built the Purpose Driven Network, a global alliance of more than 400,000 pastors and priests in 163 nations that represent every spectrum of Christianity. More than 700,000 church leaders have participated in his training events. He also founded Pastors.com, the first Web site for ministers on the Internet, which he gave to Saddleback Church.
As a theologian, Dr. Warren has lectured at numerous seminaries and universities including Oxford, Cambridge, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the University of Judaism. His six books are known for explaining theology in understandable ways and have been translated into 56 languages. Warren says he teaches theology without using theological terms. The Purpose Driven Church, published in 1995, is listed in The 100 Christian Books that Changed the 20th Century and won the ECPA Gold Medallion. It is used as a textbook in many seminaries. In 2002, he wrote The Purpose Driven Life, which became the best-selling hardback in American history, according to Publisher’s Weekly. It has sold 30 million copies in English alone and was the best-selling book in the world for three years, in more than 50 languages.
As a global strategist, Dr. Warren regularly advises international leaders in the public, private, and faith sectors on poverty, health, education, corruption, leadership development, and faith and ethics in culture. He has spoken at the United Nations, the Global Health Summit, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, the Aspen Ideas Institute, TED, and numerous world congresses. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Pacific Council on International Policy. He originated the Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan that networks local congregations, businesses, and governments to address poverty, disease, illiteracy, corruption, leadership, and spiritual emptiness.
As philanthropists, Rick and Kay Warren give away 90 percent of their income to plant churches, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
(1) USA Today, The Economist, Wall Street Journal, TIME, New Yorker, Boston Globe, Washington Post, Gallup Poll, Barna Survey.
MEDIA QUOTES
Fortune – “America’s superstar pastor has an ambitious plan to mobilize millions to fight poverty, illiteracy, and AIDS in Africa, and he’s got the management genius to do it .... Warren is secularly America’s favorite Evangelical.”
The Times (London) – “Business and political leaders across America are turning to Rick Warren for guidance.”
The Economist – “Rick Warren is arguably the most influential pastor in America.”
Business Week – “... the most celebrated of the nation's evangelical leaders. Warren is also an effective entrepreneur who has started three remarkably successful ventures.”
ABC News – “The Purpose Driven Life is the epicenter of a spiritual shockwave taking root across America in unlikely places like offices and university campuses. It has become a movement.”
The Weekly Standard – “… Warren is clearly among the two or three most influential Americans working from the West coast.”
Books and Culture – “Rick Warren’s Saddleback is America’s most fascinating mega-church.”
TIME – “Movie stars and political leaders aren't the only ones turning to Rick Warren for spiritual guidance. Millions of people – from NFL and LPGA players to corporate executives to high school students to prison inmates – meet regularly to discuss The Purpose Driven Life.”
The Register – “... one of the 100 People who shaped Orange County in past 100 years.”
Dr. Warren was born in San Jose, Calif. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from California Baptist University, a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary, and a doctor of ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Rick and his wife, Kay, live in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. They have three children, two grandchildren, and a dog. He collects hot sauces from around the world.