Saddleback Church

About Saddleback Church

Saddleback Church (or simply Saddleback) 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 and has become one of the most famous and influential churches in the world. 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. Weekly church attendance exceeds 22,000, making it the largest church in California and the 4th largest church in the United States.

According to Rick Warren, his call to full-time ministry came as a 19-year-old student at California Baptist University when, in November 1973, Warren and a friend skipped out on classes and drove 350 miles to hear pastor Dr. W.A. Criswell preach at the Jack Tar Hotel in San Francisco. Rick Warren stood in line to shake hands with Dr. Criswell afterwards.

Saddleback's first public service was held on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1980, with two hundred people in attendance at the Laguna Hills High School Theater. Warren's innovative church growth methods led to rapid growth and the church has used nearly eighty different facilities in its 28-year history.