Saddleback Church

Saddleback Church, Christian megachurch founded by Rick Warren and his wife, Kay Warren, in Lake Forest, California, in 1980. One of the largest churches in the United States, Saddleback had a weekly attendance of about 30,000 in 2023 and boasts several satellite campuses in California and around the world. Despite being the second largest member church of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Saddleback was ousted from the conservative denomination in 2023 after Rick Warren ordained three women as pastors before retiring in 2022. The church is listed as nondenominational on its website. It continues its work under pastor Andy Wood and his wife, Stacie Wood, a teaching pastor.

Founding and growth

In 1979 Rick and Kay Warren decided to start their ministry in the Saddleback Valley area of Orange county in southern California. The first gathering was held in their own home and attended by six members of a Bible study group. By 1980, however, the group had grown large enough that the Warrens hosted an Easter service in a local high school gym—their first public worship service. The young church’s membership continued to expand, reaching 10,000 in 1995 and making Saddleback one of the fastest-growing churches at the time. That same year the Warrens dedicated a new church building that included a 3,500-seat auditorium in the town of Lake Forest; Saddleback members had given $12 million over the previous three years to fund its construction.

The church’s rapid growth has been attributed to the Warrens’ “purpose-driven church” program. Inspired by the Great Commandment—to love God and love one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39)—and the Great Commission—to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20)—the five-point program emphasizes worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism to build up people and churches. In 1995 Rick Warren published his first book, The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission, as a guide for other pastors and churches. The book quickly became a bestseller and was followed by the even more successful and popular The Purpose Driven Life (2002), which made Warren one of the most well-known pastors in the world.

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The church continued its incredible growth throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. Saddleback’s status as a significant American institution was underscored in August 2008 when the church hosted its Civil Forum on the Presidency attended by Barack Obama and John McCain. Both presidential candidates answered questions posed by Warren, and the event was carried on national networks and streamed online. The following January Warren delivered the invocation at Obama’s inauguration.

By 2022 Saddleback’s membership had reached 20,000 and the church had baptized more than 56,000 new believers. Over the years of its growth the church established 15 satellite campuses in California, 30 daughter churches, and five international campuses in Berlin, Vancouver, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, and Santa Rosa in the Philippines.

Beliefs

Saddleback is a Protestant church in the Baptist tradition. It affirms the Trinity and that humanity is created in God’s image but is separated from God by sin. Salvation through Jesus is a gift of grace and is not based on human works, only on one’s faith; salvation cannot be lost or forfeit. The church holds to the inerrancy of Scripture, but unlike many other Baptist churches, uses the New International Version of the Bible rather than the King James Version. Baptism is a sign of one’s faith and is done by full immersion. The church explicitly does not condone prosperity gospel teachings and rejects the notion that giving or other works can buy healing. The church also maintains that marriage is between one man and one woman.

Ministries

Like many megachurches, Saddleback offers a wide range of activities, ministries, and volunteer opportunities in addition to its weekly church services. Newcomers are encouraged to attend a series of orientation classes to ultimately help “find belonging, pursue growth, make a difference, and change the world.” On-site or in-home small groups and Bible studies, some of which are based on age or life status (groups for singles, college students, or older adults, for example), foster a deeper sense of community for many parishioners. Fun and active youth groups, children’s ministries and small groups, a unique spin-off of traditional “vacation Bible school,”, and even toddler music classes help attract and support families with children.

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With its notion of “second chance grace,” the church seeks to support those who need healing and offers free family and individual counseling. In 1991 a Saddleback member named John Baker founded a sobriety program called Celebrate Recovery at the church. Having recently worked through the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program, Baker wanted to create an alternative, Gospel-based support program for Christians struggling with alcohol or drug use disorders. With Warren’s support, the program rapidly grew beyond Saddleback and has been embraced or recreated by denominations across the United States and abroad.

In 2013 the Warrens’ youngest son, Matthew, died by suicide at age 27. In response, Saddleback Church hosted an ecumenical event in 2014 with the local Roman Catholic diocese and the National Alliance on Mental Illness to give church leaders resources to support members with mental illness and remove the stigma of mental illness. The church now offers and facilitates more than 500 care and support ministries that range from grief care to medical support groups to mental health support groups.

Saddleback provides international service opportunities for congregants and claims to have sent members as missionaries and aid workers to every country on Earth. In addition to large mission projects, Saddleback offers numerous local service opportunities for its members. These include jail and community ministries, academic tutoring, music lessons, and organizing food pantry donations. The church claims to have given more than $1 billion to Christian causes.

Ouster by the Southern Baptist Convention

In 2021 Warren made waves when he ordained three women as pastors. This action resulted in an audit by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), whose doctrinal statement holds that the office of pastor is limited to men. Despite the audit and subsequent warning from the SBC, Saddleback did not withdraw its support for the women pastors. Tensions between the church and its denomination grew when Warren retired as pastor of Saddleback in 2022 and appointed Andy Wood as his replacement as senior pastor and Stacie Wood, his wife, as a teaching pastor. The following February the SBC voted to remove Saddleback Church from its member list, claiming that Saddleback was “not in friendly cooperation” with the Convention. In May 2023 the church filed an appeal, but the SBC reaffirmed its decision.