Rick Warren
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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[edit] 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.
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.[citations needed]
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.
Warren was named one of "America's Top 25 Leaders" in the October 31, 2005 issue of U.S. News and World Report. 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). 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.
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.
[edit] Ministry
Rick and Kay are directors of the following non-profit organizations:
- Saddleback Church
- Acts of Mercy
- Purpose Driven Ministries
- The Global Fund
- RKW Legacy Partners
- Equipping the Church
Warren says that he 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 says he now "reverse tithes", meaning giving away 90% of his income and living off of 10%.
[edit] 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 has a web-site, PurposeDriven.com, to help instruct in these principles, provide curriculum and to communicate and coordinate the community.
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.
[edit] 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. Other common criticisms include objections to the accuracy with which it presents the Christian gospel[citation needed], the accuracy of their Biblical exegesis[citation needed], and various allegedly unbiblical teachings[citation needed]. Many critics contend that Warren compromises on various doctrinal truths and that he espouses ecumenical teachings. Philosopher and atheist Daniel C. Dennett has stated that Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life makes claims about the Universe which are "false", and that it "discourages people from scientific understanding".
[edit] 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)
- Purpose Driven Youth Ministry (ISBN 0-310-21253-7)--Doug Fields
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Goodstein, Laurie. Evangelical Leaders Join Global Warming Initiative in The New York Times, February 8, 2006
- ^ Sheler, Jeffery L. Preacher With A Purpose in U.S. News & World Report, November 31, 2005
- ^ Steptoe, Sonja. Rick Warren: A Pastor with a Purpose in The 2005 Time 100, Time (magazine)
- ^ Newsweek's 15 People Who make America Great[verification needed]
- ^ Dennett, Daniel C. A secular, scientific rebuttal to Rick Warren
[edit] External links
- Rick Warren
- Rick Warren's Ministry Podcast
- Purpose Driven Church
- 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
- New Yorker article on the ministry of Rick Warren by Malcolm Gladwell, reprinted at Pastors.com (retrieved August 28, 2007)
- Rick Warren's Presence at 'Azusa Street' Questionedcs:Rick Warren
de:Rick Warren fr:Rick Warren id:Rick Warren nl:Rick Warren ja:リック・ウォレン pt:Rick Warren sv:Rick Warren
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since December 2007 | All pages needing cleanup | Wikipedia articles needing factual verification since December 2007 | Christian religious leaders | American Baptist ministers | Baptist ministers | Christian writers | People from San Jose, California | 1954 births | Living people

