What Does It Mean To Follow Christ? Rick Warren

Richard D. "Rick" Warren (born January 28, 1954) is the founding and senior pastor of Saddleback Church. He is also the author of many Christian books, including The Purpose Driven Life, and a major (and occasionally controversial) figure amongst the Southern Baptists in the United States.

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 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 (Josh, Amy, and Matthew) and two grandchildren. He considers Billy Graham, Peter Drucker, and his own father (who was himself a Baptist pastor and an SBC missionary), to be among his mentors.