Richard D. `` Rick '' Warren ( born January 28 , 1954 ) is both the founder and pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California . Richard Duane `` Rick '' Warren ( born January 28 , 1954 ) is an American evangelical Christian minister and author . He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church , an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest , California , currently the eighth-largest church in the United States ( this ranking includes multi-site churches ) .