RICK WARREN Biography - Religious Figures & Icons

 
 

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RICK WARREN

Name: Richard D. Warren                                                               
Born: 28 January 1954                                                                 
                                                                                       
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.             
                                                                                       
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 Holladay)       
and had a brother (Jim C. Warren, 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.                             
                                                                                       
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.