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	{{Infobox church		{{Infobox church
	\| name = ]		\| name = Saddleback Church
	\| fullname =		\| fullname = Saddleback Valley Community Church
	\| ~~color~~ =		\| image = Saddleback church Lake Forest building 1.jpg
	\| image = Saddleback3.jpg
	\| imagesize =		\| imagesize =
	\| caption = ~~Worship~~ ~~Center~~		\| caption = Saddleback church Lake Forest, worship center
	\| ~~landscape~~ =		\| denomination = ]
	\| ~~denomination~~ = Southern Baptist Convention, ~~Evangelical Christian~~		\| associations = Independent<br>] (formerly)
	\| ~~diocese~~ =		\| attendance = 30,000
	\| ~~parish~~ =		\| campuses = 19
	\| ~~division~~ =		\| founded date = 1980
			\| founder = ], ]
	\| subdivision =
	\| ~~founded_date~~ = ~~1980~~		\| director =
	\| ~~founder~~ = ~~Dr. Rick Warren~~		\| architect =
	\| ~~architect~~ =		\| style = Contemporary/Modern
			\| years built = 1985
	\| style =
			\| dedicated date =
	\| constructed_date =
	\| ~~dedicated_date~~ =		\| closed date =
	\| ~~closed_date~~ =		\| demolished date =
			\| seniorpastor = Andy Wood
	\| demolished_date =
	\| ~~bishop~~ =		\| pastor =
			\| location = ], across ], other locations across the world
	\| priest =
	\| archdeacon =
	\| dean =
	\| provost =
	\| rector =
	\| canon =
	\| prebendary =
	\| curate =
	\| chaplain =
	\| vicar =
	\| deacon =
	\| abbot =
	\| minister =
	\| seniorpastor = Dr. Rick Warren
	\| pastor =
	\| address = 1 Saddleback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92630
	\| country = United States		\| country = United States
	\| ~~phone~~ = ~~949~~.~~609~~.~~8000~~		\| website = {{URL\|http://www.saddleback.com/}}
	\| ~~website~~ =		\| logo = Saddleback Church logo.jpg
			\| logosize = 150px
	}}		}}
			'''Saddleback Church''' is an ], ]<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Saddleback Church \|url=https://welcome.saddleback.com/about/ \|access-date=2024-07-05 \|website=welcome.saddleback.com}}</ref> ] ] based in ]. It is the largest church in ], and one of the largest in the United States of America. The church has several campuses<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Saddleback Church \|url=https://welcome.saddleback.com/locations/ \|access-date=2024-07-05 \|website=welcome.saddleback.com}}</ref> in California and around the world, as well as a number of extensions.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Saddleback Online Extensions Finder \|url=https://saddleback.com/visit/locations/onlinecommunity/online-extensions \|access-date=2024-07-05 \|website=saddleback.com}}</ref> Weekly ] was 30,000 people in 2023. Its senior pastor is Andy Wood, and his wife, Stacie Wood, is a teaching pastor. Saddleback was formerly associated with the ], until 2023.
	'''Saddleback Church''' (or simply '''Saddleback''') is an ] ] located in ], situated in southern ]. The church was founded in 1980 by senior ] ] and has become one of the most famous and influential churches in the world.<ref name="story">{{cite web\|title=The Saddleback story\|publisher=Saddleback Church\|url=http://saddleback.com/flash/story.asp\|format=HTML\|accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> The church is autonomous and is independent of any ] control. However, Saddleback recognizes the benefits of cooperation with other churches in world missions, and voluntarily affiliates with the ] in its national, state and local expressions. Weekly church attendance exceeds 22,000, making it the largest church in California and the 4th largest church in the ].<ref name="largest">{{cite web \| title = 100 Largest U.S. churches \| work = \| publisher = Outreach Magazine \| date= \| url = http://outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2007_largest.pdf \| format = PDF
	\| accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>

	==History==		==History==
			].]]
	<!--
			In 1979, ], recently graduated in theology, settled with his wife ] in the ] area of ].<ref> Malcolm Gladwell, , newyorker.com, US, September 12, 2005</ref> He began to probe the people in his neighborhood to find out what prevented them from coming to church.<ref> Malcolm Gladwell, , newyorker.com, US, September 12, 2005</ref> The answers that emerged were boredom, distance from everyday life, lack of welcome for visitors, insistence on money and inadequate programs for children. It is with these concerns that the church began in 1980, with a Bible study group, with six people, the pastor Rick Warren and his wife, in their condo.<ref> Richard D. Hunt: , klove.com, June 3,2022</ref> The first ] took place in the "Little Theatre" of ] on Palm Sunday, in 1980.<ref> Justin G. Wilford, ''Sacred Subdivisions: The Postsuburban Transformation of American Evangelicalism'', NYU Press, US, 2012, p. 9 {{ISBN\|97800814708309}}</ref> In 1995, it ] a new building in Lake Forest including a 3,500-seat auditorium.<ref> Bob Allen, , baptiststandard.com, US, June 12, 2015</ref>
	NOTE: Certain sections of this article have undergone active editing, including wholesale deletions. Please be both respectful and informative in your edits as we try to improve the quality of the article. All edits should be based on Misplaced Pages policies, and all information in the article should be fully sourced with reliable third party citations.
	-->
	According to Rick Warren, his call to full-time ministry came as a 19-year-old student at ] when, in November 1973, Warren and a friend skipped out on classes and drove 350 miles to hear pastor Dr. ] preach at the Jack Tar Hotel in ].<ref name="wmu">{{cite web
	\| title = Interview with a Missions Leader
	\| work =
	\| publisher = Woman's Missionary Union Website
	\| date=
	\| url = http://www.wmu.com/rickwarren/
	\| format = HTML
	\| accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref> Rick Warren stood in line to shake hands with Dr. Criswell afterwards.<ref name=wmu/>

			In 2003, Saddleback Church, Kay and Rick Warren founded the ], a ] development program for churches.<ref> Nicola Menzie, , christianpost.com, US, August 29, 2013</ref><ref> Justin G. Wilford, ''Sacred Subdivisions: The Postsuburban Transformation of American Evangelicalism'', NYU Press, US, 2012, p. 115</ref>
	{{cquote\|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.”<ref name=wmu/>}}

			In November and December 2006, Saddleback Church played host to the second annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. The summit featured 60 speakers, including Senators ] and ].<ref> Jill Serjeant, , reuters.com, UK, November 28, 2007</ref>
	Saddleback's first public service was held on ] Sunday, April 6, 1980, with two hundred people in attendance at the ] High School Theater. Warren's innovative ] methods led to rapid growth and the church has used nearly eighty different facilities in its 28-year history.

			In 2018, the church said it had baptized 50,000 people since its founding.<ref> Stoyan Zaimov, , christianpost.com, US, August 13, 2018 </ref>
	Saddleback famously did not build its first permanent building until it had 10,000 weekly attenders. When the current Lake Forest campus was purchased in the early 1990's, a 2,300 seat plastic tent was used for worship services for several years, with four services each weekend. In 1995, the current Worship Center was completed with a seating capacity of 3,500. The multi-million dollar Children's Ministry Center (housing the ''All Stars'' children's ministry) and staff office building were completed over the next few years. In June 2008, a $20 million, state-of-the-art student ministry facility called the ''Refinery'', was completed. The ''Refinery'' houses the middle school (''Wildside'') and high school (''HSM'') ministries, consisting of nearly 1,500 students.<ref></ref>

			].]]
	'']'' (PDC) curriculum<ref name="Process">{{cite web \| last = \| first = \| authorlink = \| coauthors = \| title = What is PurposeDriven? \| work = \| publisher =Purpose Driven \| date = \| url = http://www.purposedriven.com/en-US/International/South+Asia/AboutUs/WhatIsPD/PD_Process.htm \| format =
	\| doi = \| accessdate = 2007-09-01 }}</ref> and '']'' program<ref name="CelebrateRecovery">{{cite web \| title = Message By Pastor Rick \| work = \| publisher = Celebrate Recovery Website \| date= \| url = http://www.celebraterecovery.com/message.shtml \| format = HTML \| accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref> were founded at Saddleback Church. Saddleback currently has 3 regional campuses: ], ], and ]. Several more campuses are planned in the next few years.

			On August 16, 2008, Rick Warren arranged a meeting between Senators ] and Barack Obama at Saddleback called the ].<ref>{{cite news \|last=Barboza \|first=Tony \|title=John McCain, Barack Obama will appear together at Orange County church \| date= July 21, 2008 \|work=]\|url = http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-saddleback22-2008jul22,0,4225424.story?track=rss \|access-date = 2008-07-23 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080722194652/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-saddleback22-2008jul22,0,4225424.story?track=rss \| archive-date = 2008-07-22}}</ref> The format of the forum was structured such that Warren first asked Obama a series of questions; he then asked McCain very similar ones subsequently. It was broadcast live on national news networks and streamed online. Tickets were distributed to the public through a raffle with seats listing as high as $1,000, and the event was sold out.<ref>{{cite web\|url = http://saddlebackcivilforum.com/ \|title=Saddleback Civil Forum \| access-date = 2010-09-29}}</ref>
	==Lake Forest Campus==
	<center><gallery>
	Image:Saddleback2.jpg\|Waterfall and ]
	Image:Saddleback church campus.jpg\|Walkways
	Image:Saddleback4.jpg\|Children's Ministry Center
	Image:Saddleback5.jpg\|Refinery
	</gallery></center>

			In 2022, Andy Wood became lead pastor.<ref> Leonardo Blair, , christianpost.com, US, August 30, 2022</ref>
	==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 U.S. Senators ] and ]. The participation of Obama was controversial, mainly owing to Obama's support of ], which conflicts with the pro-life beliefs of Warren and most Evangelicals. The controversy was rekindled during the 2007 summit when U.S. Senator ] also spoke at the church.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Ross\|first=Larry\|title=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\|publisher=ChristianNewsWire\|url=http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/864651610.html\|accessdate=2007-09-01}}</ref>

			===Expulsion from Southern Baptist Convention===
	==Civil Forum on the Presidency==
			In 2021, the church was audited for compliance by the ], after ordaining three women pastors that year and thus acting contrary to the Convention's ] (]) which believes that the pastoral ministry is reserved for men.<ref> Adelle M. Banks, , christianpost.com, US, June 16, 2021</ref> As of February 21, 2023, the church was removed from the SBC membership list due to the hiring of a female pastor in 2022, Stacie Wood, the wife of new senior pastor Andy Wood.<ref>{{cite web \| url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2023/02/21/southern-baptist-convention-disfellowships-saddleback-church/69927465007/ \| title=Southern Baptist Convention disfellowships Saddleback Church over role of women as pastors \| website=] }}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web \|last1=Howe \|first1=Jonathan \|last2=Porter \|first2=Brandon \|date=February 21, 2023 \|title=Saddleback Church deemed 'not in friendly cooperation' with SBC \|url=https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/saddleback-church-deemed-not-in-friendly-cooperation-with-sbc \|access-date=2023-02-26 \|website= \|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Smietana \|first=Bob \|date=2023-02-24 \|title=How did Saddleback get kicked out of the SBC? It's complicated. \|url=https://religionnews.com/2023/02/24/how-did-saddleback-get-kicked-out-of-the-sbc-its-complicated/ \|access-date=2023-02-26 \|website=Religion News Service \|language=en-US}}</ref> On May 16, the Southern Baptist Convention announced that Saddleback was seeking an appeal to be reinstated in fellowship. In June 2023, when it requested a review of the decision, church representatives present at the annual convention voted 88% to uphold this decision. <ref>Michael Gryboski, , christianpost.com, USA, June 14, 2023</ref> The church wanted to maintain its affiliation with the ], <ref> Adelle M. Banks, Bob Smietana, , religionnews.com, USA, June 14, 2023 </ref> but in October 2023, it decided to leave the state convention as well, in a desire to avoid divisions.<ref> Mark Wingfield, , baptistnews.com, USA, November 14, 2023 </ref>
	On ], ], Rick Warren arranged a meeting between Senator ] and Senator ] at Saddleback called the ]. The format of the forum was structured such that Warren first asked Sen. Obama a series of questions; he then asked Sen. McCain very similar ones subsequently. Held inside Saddleback's Worship Center, the event is notable as the first time the two Presidential candidates met during the campaign. It was broadcast live on national news networks and streamed online. Tickets were distributed to church members through a raffle with seats listing as high as $1,000 and the event was sold out.<ref>{{cite news \|last=Barboza \|first=Tony \|title=John McCain, Barack Obama will appear together at Orange County church \|date= July 21, 2008 \|publisher=]\|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-saddleback22-2008jul22,0,4225424.story?track=rss \|accessdate=2008-07-23 }}</ref><ref>http://saddlebackcivilforum.com/index.html</ref>
	* in 9 parts from ''1001BG''
	* from ''RickWarrenNews.com''

			According to a church census released in 2023, it claimed a weekly attendance of 30,000 people and 15 ] in different cities. <ref> Outreach Magazine, , outreach100.com, USA, retrieved November 2, 2023</ref>
	== See also ==

	* ]
			== Beliefs ==
	* ]
			The church has a ] ].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Beliefs \|url=https://saddleback.com/visit/about/beliefs-and-values \|access-date=2023-05-14 \|website=Saddleback Church \|language=en-US}}</ref>

			==Programs==
			The church offers various programs, such as '']'' (PDC) curriculum<ref name="Process">{{cite web \| title = What is Purpose Driven? \| publisher =Purpose Driven \| url = http://www.purposedriven.com/en_US/International/South+Asia/AboutUs/WhatIsPD/PD_Process.htm \| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131004225755/http://www.purposedriven.com/en_US/International/South+Asia/AboutUs/WhatIsPD/PD_Process.htm \| url-status=dead \| archive-date = 2013-10-04 \| access-date = 2007-09-01}}</ref> and '']'', an ] program.<ref> Kate Shellnutt, , christianitytoday.com, US, August 12, 2016 </ref>

			==See also==
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
			* ]
	* ]
			* ]
			* ]

	== References and notes ==		==References and notes==
	{{~~reflist~~\|2}}		{{Reflist\| 64em}}

	== External links ==		==External links==
	* - Official ~~web site~~		*
	*
	* Senior Pastor Rick Warren's official web site
	*
	*

			{{Authority control}}
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			{{Portal bar\|Evangelical Christianity\|}}
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Latest revision as of 16:30, 11 November 2024

Church in other locations across the world, United States

Saddleback Church
Saddleback Valley Community Church
Saddleback church Lake Forest, worship center

Location	Lake Forest, California, across Los Angeles metro area, other locations across the world
Country	United States
Denomination	Baptist
Associations	Independent Southern Baptist Convention (formerly)
Weekly attendance	30,000
Campuses	19
Website	www.saddleback.com
History
Founded	1980
Founder(s)	Rick Warren, Kay Warren
Architecture
Style	Contemporary/Modern
Years built	1985
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)	Andy Wood

Saddleback Church is an evangelical, non-denominational Christian multi-site megachurch based in Lake Forest, California. It is the largest church in California, and one of the largest in the United States of America. The church has several campuses in California and around the world, as well as a number of extensions. Weekly church attendance was 30,000 people in 2023. Its senior pastor is Andy Wood, and his wife, Stacie Wood, is a teaching pastor. Saddleback was formerly associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, until 2023.

History

In 1979, Rick Warren, recently graduated in theology, settled with his wife Kay in the Saddleback Valley area of Orange County, California. He began to probe the people in his neighborhood to find out what prevented them from coming to church. The answers that emerged were boredom, distance from everyday life, lack of welcome for visitors, insistence on money and inadequate programs for children. It is with these concerns that the church began in 1980, with a Bible study group, with six people, the pastor Rick Warren and his wife, in their condo. The first worship service took place in the "Little Theatre" of Laguna Hills High School on Palm Sunday, in 1980. In 1995, it dedicated a new building in Lake Forest including a 3,500-seat auditorium.

In 2003, Saddleback Church, Kay and Rick Warren founded the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, a humanitarian development program for churches.

In November and December 2006, Saddleback Church played host to the second annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. The summit featured 60 speakers, including Senators Barack Obama and Sam Brownback.

In 2018, the church said it had baptized 50,000 people since its founding.

On August 16, 2008, Rick Warren arranged a meeting between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama at Saddleback called the Civil Forum on the Presidency. The format of the forum was structured such that Warren first asked Obama a series of questions; he then asked McCain very similar ones subsequently. It was broadcast live on national news networks and streamed online. Tickets were distributed to the public through a raffle with seats listing as high as $1,000, and the event was sold out.

In 2022, Andy Wood became lead pastor.

Expulsion from Southern Baptist Convention

In 2021, the church was audited for compliance by the Southern Baptist Convention, after ordaining three women pastors that year and thus acting contrary to the Convention's confession of faith (Baptist Faith and Message) which believes that the pastoral ministry is reserved for men. As of February 21, 2023, the church was removed from the SBC membership list due to the hiring of a female pastor in 2022, Stacie Wood, the wife of new senior pastor Andy Wood. On May 16, the Southern Baptist Convention announced that Saddleback was seeking an appeal to be reinstated in fellowship. In June 2023, when it requested a review of the decision, church representatives present at the annual convention voted 88% to uphold this decision. The church wanted to maintain its affiliation with the California Southern Baptist Convention, but in October 2023, it decided to leave the state convention as well, in a desire to avoid divisions.

According to a church census released in 2023, it claimed a weekly attendance of 30,000 people and 15 campuses in different cities.