Rick Warren delivers final sermon as Senior

Pastor Rick Warren delivered his last sermon as the Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church. (Photo taken from Saddleback Church’s Facebook post)

Pastor Rick Warren delivered his last sermon as the Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church on Sunday, Aug. 28.

On the church’s Facebook page, members posted that they are amazed at how God worked for Warren and his wife, Kaye, for 43 years. They added that all the dreams and promises of God had turned into reality.

Besides, they mentioned that in 1980, Warren and the pioneering members said they were ready for what God had planned for the Saddleback Church. This time, members are saying “we’re in” for everything that comes.

Honoring Pastor Rick Warren

The same page posted on Saturday, Aug. 27, that Saddleback Church would reveal facts about Warren and his wife to honor their service in the last 43 years.

In another post, Saddleback Church revealed that Warren and his wife were a young married couple when God called them in 1980. God asked them to establish a new church in Saddleback Mountain, California.

The young couple only had their dreams during that time. The post noted that they do not have money, land, or property. They added that there were no members of the church during that period.

As further mentioned, the couple’s reason for making their dream a reality is that they believe God implanted that dream in them. The post emphasized that they were ready to take all the risks.

Partners in Ministry

As further highlighted, the church mentioned that Warren and his wife led various efforts and ministries that changed lives worldwide.

As posted on the Facebook post, God had given the couple and the church a dream for their neighborhood and individuals worldwide.

The post emphasized that the couple spearheaded the PEACE plan and served nearly 200 countries. Besides, they helped over a million individuals through grocery distribution, as added in the post.

In addition, when the church started the All-Africa initiative in 2004, the post revealed that they had trained 6,500 churches. Also, the PEACE plan had more than 58,000 members, as posted on the page.

Honoring First Church Member

As the church acknowledges Warren’s dedication, the Saddleback Facebook page also recognized the realtor who became God’s instrument to help Warren and his wife.

According to the post, Don Dale was the first member of Saddleback Church. He was a realtor who was also struggling with his finances in 1980. He was hoping to make a few commissions by looking for a house for Warren’s family.

The post mentioned that Dale had become vital to the church’s history and service.

Pastor with Purpose

According to the church’s website, Warren is a pastor with a vision. Warren and his wife, Kay, were just 26 years old when they founded the Saddleback Church. The church calls him “Papa Rick,” who has a voice of discernment, hope, and motivation.

He is a pastor with a vision, as emphasized on the website.

As further explained, God led Warren to establish the PEACE Plan. It is a mission to battle the five great spiritual emptinesses, as mentioned on the website. The initiative is focused on self-serving leadership, poverty, and pandemics.

More importantly, the plan deals with people’s illiteracy worldwide. The website said that Warren and Kay believe their calling is also to strengthen local churches and leaders.