Rick Warren _ Turn Off the World So You Can Hear God More Clearly

Rick Warren _ Turn Off the World So You Can Hear God More Clearly
Richard Duane “Rick” Warren was born on January 28, 1954, in San Jose, California, USA.

He grew up as the son of Jimmy Warren, a Baptist minister, and Dot Warren, a high school librarian.

His family later moved and he was raised in Ukiah, California, where he attended Ukiah High School and graduated in 1972.

During his high school years, he helped found the first Christian club on campus.
Wikipedia

Warren’s spiritual calling reportedly began when he was a teenager. At age 17, he heard evangelical preacher Billy Graham speak, which left a strong impression on him and shaped much of his future ministry.
Encyclopedia Britannica

Over time, Graham became a mentor to Warren, and Warren has often spoken of Graham’s influence on his life, character, and ministry.

For his formal education, Warren first earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California Baptist University (also written as California Baptist College).

He then obtained a Master of Divinity from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1979.

Later, he pursued a Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

During his seminary years, Warren was active in ministry work. For example, he worked at Texas Ranch for Christ, a ministry facility, where he also began collaborating on written works such as The Victory Scripture Memory Series and Twelve Dynamic Bible Study Methods for Laity.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In his last year of seminary, Warren reportedly turned down an offer to become pastor of a large (5,000-member) church in Texas, choosing instead to move to Orange County, California, with his wife and family to start a church from the ground up.

He married Kay Warren (née Elizabeth Kay) in 1975.

They have three children.
In January 1980, Rick and Kay Warren launched what would become Saddleback Church, beginning with a small Bible study group in their apartment in the Saddleback Valley area of Orange County, California.
Encyclopedia Britannica

On Easter Sunday of that year, the first public worship service was held in a local high school theater, drawing about 200 attendees—many of whom had never regularly attended church.

From those humble beginnings, Saddleback grew rapidly. By 1995, membership had reached 10,000, and the church dedicated a new auditorium seating 3,500 as part of a $12 million construction project.

Over the years, the church expanded further, establishing satellite campuses in California and internationally (e.g. in Berlin, Vancouver, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, and the Philippines).

At its peak, in some reports, Saddleback’s weekly attendance (across its campuses) approached 20,000 to 30,000 people.

The church was also very active in starting “daughter churches” (over 30) and in mission projects sending members all over the world

A distinctive feature of Saddleback under Warren’s leadership was its structured approach to church growth and organization, epitomized by his “purpose-driven” philosophy (discussed more below).

In 2022, after 42 years as senior pastor, Warren officially stepped down from the role.

He designated Andy Wood as his successor, with Wood’s wife Stacie Wood serving as a “teaching pastor.”

In 2021, Warren stirred controversy within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) by ordaining three women pastors — a practice not accepted by the SBC leadership — which contributed to tensions between Saddleback and the denomination.

In February 2023, SBC officially removed Saddleback Church from its membership rolls, citing that the church was “not in friendly cooperation” with the denomination.
One of the central contributions of Rick Warren to modern evangelicalism is the “Purpose‑Driven” approach to church life and Christian living. The idea is to reshape churches and believers around clear biblical purposes rather than traditions or merely organizational models.
Rick and Kay Warren have been married since 1975.

Their family has faced notable personal tragedies, the most public being the suicide of their youngest son, Matthew, on April 6, 2013.

Matthew had struggled with mental illness for many years before his death.

Following Matthew’s death, Warren and his church took steps to address mental health issues within church communities, including hosting ecumenical events to equip church leaders to respond to mental illness and reduce stigma.
Warren and Kay have also pledged a significant portion of their income to charitable causes. For many years, Rick chose not to take a salary from the church.

Instead, he committed to donating 90% of his book royalties to three foundations they established — one focused on AIDS relief (Acts of Mercy), one on equipping the church, and one on global development (Global PEACE Fund) — as well as to other charitable causes.