Rick Warren was born in San Jose, California and earned a Bachelor of Arts from California Baptist University, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife Kay founded Saddleback Church when he was just 26 years old and he continues to serve as the senior pastor. To many, he is Pastor Rick, but to his church, he is Papa Rick—a voice of wisdom, hope, encouragement, and vision.

Ten years ago, a trip to Rwanda literally changed the trajectory of Pastor Rick’s life and mission. God gave him a vision for The PEACE Plan, a mission to fight the five giants of spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, pandemic disease, and illiteracy that devastate the lives of men, women, and children around the world. He and Kay consider it their life’s’ work to empower local churches and local leaders to create sustainable change that gives a voice to the voiceless and help to the helpless.

Since founding Saddleback Valley Community Church in 1980, Pastor Rick has become one of the nation’s leading pastors. He mentors young leaders, and many of today’s leading pastors credit him and his book The Purpose Driven Church for inspiring them to pursue their own callings to ministry. He built the Purpose Driven Network, a global alliance of pastors from more than 160 countries and hundreds of denominations who have been trained to be purpose driven churches. Pastor Rick also founded Pastors.com—an online interactive community that provides sermons, forums, and other practice resources for pastors.