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. Warren recognized, as McPherson did, that evangelical church services are a species of entertainment. Internal family dynamics and financial woes figured in the two Schuller succession attempts. Dynastic succession does not appear to be an option for Saddleback Church. The fifth edition of his book “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America” includes a chapter on Rick Warren.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 28, 2021 09:56 UTC