Saddleback Church

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Saddleback Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County. The church was founded in 1980 by senior pastor Rick Warren.[1] The church is autonomous and is independent of any denominational control. However, Saddleback recognizes the benefits of cooperation with other churches in world missions, and voluntarily affiliates with the Southern Baptist Convention in its national, state and local expressions.[citation needed] Weekly church attendance exceeds 22,000, making it the largest church in California and the 4th largest church in the United States.[2] The Purpose Driven Church (PDC) curriculum[3] and Celebrate Recovery program[4] were founded at Saddleback Church. Saddleback currently has 3 regional campuses: San Clemente, Irvine, and Corona. Several more campuses are planned in the next few years.

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[edit] History of the Church

According to Rick Warren, his call to ministry came when he was a 19-year-old youth evangelist. A turning point for Warren came in November 1973. Warren and a buddy skipped out on University classes and drove 350 miles to hear pastor Dr. W.A. Criswell preach at the Jack Tar Hotel in San Francisco.[5] Rick Warren stood in line to shake hands with Dr. Criswell afterwards.[5]

“ When my turn finally arrived, something unexpected happened. Criswell looked at me with kind, loving eyes and said, quite emphatically, “Young man, I feel led to lay hands on you and pray for you!” He placed his hands on my head and prayed: “Father, I ask that you give this young preacher a double portion of your Spirit. May the church he pastors grow to twice the size of the Dallas church. Bless him greatly, O Lord.”[5] ”

[edit] Global Summit controversy

In November and December 2006, Saddleback Church played host to the second annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. The summit featured some 60 speakers, including prominent U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Sam Brownback. The participation of Obama was controversial, mainly owing to Obama's support of abortion, which conflicts with the pro-life beliefs of Warren and most evangelicals.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ The Saddleback story (HTML). Saddleback Church. Retrieved on 2007-12-18.
  2. ^ 100 Largest U.S. churches (PDF). Outreach Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-12-18.
  3. ^ What is PurposeDriven?. Purpose Driven. Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
  4. ^ Message By Pastor Rick (HTML). Celebrate Recovery Website. Retrieved on 2007-12-18.
  5. ^ a b c Interview with a Missions Leader (HTML). Woman's Missionary Union Website. Retrieved on 2007-12-18.
  6. ^ Ross, Larry. Press Release: Statement by Saddleback Valley Community Church Regarding Senator Barack Obama as One of Nearly 60 Featured Speakers at the Second Annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. ChristianNewsWire. Retrieved on 2007-09-01.

[edit] External links