Even if it’s possible to find another pastor with star quality, will the faithful who have grown accustomed to one leadership style cotton to a newcomer? It’s too singular, too dependent on individual style, charm, drive and personality. That level of charismatic authority doesn’t transfer easily. (He invented the tag-team sermon, where he or an associate would begin a sermon and then hand it off to another pastor midway through.) Nonetheless, Warren is Saddleback’s star, one of a very few Christian ministers whose face and name you may recognize even if you’ve never lifted a hymnal. Although no one would accuse him of diffidence, he is rarely one to jostle for the limelight. Warren, however, has sought to avoid that. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that megachurch evangelicalism has devolved into a cult of personality. They tend, instead, to organize themselves around charismatic individuals, especially in recent decades. Unlike other religious groups, evangelical congregations are not bound by long-standing hierarchy, creeds, liturgy or traditions. And the nature of megachurches will only make it more difficult to replace him. Warren’s are big shoes to fill, no doubt about it. In addition to the central “worship center,” the Lake Forest campus is dotted with different musical “venues.” ![]() Warren’s focus is on music, positing that one effective way to appeal to a variety of individuals is to offer a variety of musical styles at worship services. McPherson’s device was theatrical sermons - she was, after all, competing with Hollywood across town. ![]() Warren recognized, as McPherson did, that evangelical church services are a species of entertainment. ![]() Warren did not invent the evangelical megachurch - that distinction arguably belongs to Aimee Semple McPherson’s Angelus Temple in Echo Park - but he found innovative ways to perfect the model. Starting from scratch just over 40 years ago, Saddleback has grown exponentially the church claims a weekly attendance of about 20,000 worshipers. It’s a fraught process, complete with cautionary tales from other congregations.įirst, we should appreciate the scale of Warren’s achievements at Saddleback. Rick Warren’s announcement on June 6 that he plans to step away from his role as lead pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest raises the issue of succession in evangelical megachurches.
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