Saddleback Church

Saddleback Church is a large evangelical congregation in Lake Forest, California, with multiple buildings on a spacious campus in southern Orange County. The main auditorium seats around 3,500 people, while additional structures house spaces for education, counseling, and social activities.

Rick Warren and his wife Kay founded the congregation in 1980 with a small Bible study group of seven people in their home. Over the following decades, the community grew and developed into one of the largest churches in the United States with thousands of weekly attendees.

The name comes from the Saddleback Mountain range visible to the south, referring to the gentle rolling hills of the area. The congregation uses multiple campuses for worship and offers programs in several languages, reflecting the diverse makeup of its members.

The campus is located in Lake Forest southeast of Los Angeles and is easily reached by car via several major roads. Parking is available in large numbers, and most events take place on weekends and throughout the week.

In 2023, the congregation left the Southern Baptist Convention following decisions to ordain women as pastors. This separation was part of a larger debate within Baptist communities about the role of women in ministry leadership.

Location: California

Inception: 1980

Founders: Rick Warren, Kay Warren

Website: https://saddleback.com

GPS coordinates: 33.66330,-117.64700

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:30