Home Pastors Articles for Pastors Rick Warren Lining Up a Purpose Driven Retirement

Rick Warren Lining Up a Purpose Driven Retirement

Rick Warren, bestselling author and pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., recently told Forbes.com that he is preparing for retirement, but he’s not planning to spend it in 20 or more years of leisure. The 59-year-old megachurch pastor has said that he will retire in 2020 “because the church will need a new face.” However, Warren made sure to explain his perspective on retirement from a biblical context, calling it a “transition.”

“The Bible says that as long as your heart is beating God has a plan and purpose for your life … to grow personally, to get to know God, to serve others, and make the world a better place,” he told Forbes. “In retirement, what we have to ask is ‘What’s going to be the center of my life?’ because if you don’t have a solid center it’s going to fall apart.  Then we have to say, ‘Who are going to be my life companions; who will be my associates, my circle of influence; what is going to be the character of my life; how am I going to keep growing?'”

Forbes pointed out that, while Warren’s ministry has extended around the world and he has authored the second most translated non-fiction book in the world (next to the Bible), he continues his life of humble stewardship and has resisted the luxurious lifestyle his success could provide. Instead, he supports many charity and goodwill campaigns and has been a volunteer pastor at Saddleback for many years.

Warren will appear at the 2013 Exponential Conference in Orlando in late April.