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Is Rick Warren Still Relevant?

A Daily Beast/Newsweek article wonders whether mega-church's founder can reclaim his spot on the religious and political stage.

Has Pastor Rick Warren's time come and gone?

Ten years after his mega-bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life, catapulted him to fame as a kinder, gentler face of evangelicalism, The Daily Beast/Newsweek interviews the Saddleback Church founder about his ministry, including a program to introduce his message to a new generation.

With that in mind, the anniversary edition of the book has been updated with new chapters plus audio and video links designed to appeal to the social-media conscious.

“This nation is in desperate need of some direction and purpose and meaning," he said. "Somebody’s got to speak up now. And I thought, OK. If nobody else volunteers, I’ll step up.”

Will the efforts be enough to keep him relevant?

In 2008, Warren hosted a presidential candidates forum at his church in Lake Forest, CA, and later delivered the invocation at President Obama's inauguration. But in 2012, his planned candidates forum never materialized.

Next year, Warren hopes to help spark a grass-roots spiritual revival.

But some Christian leaders think his approach has become stale.

Warren "is one of pioneers of the boomer generation of evangelical leadership, but I think there’s something else going on in the church today,” said radio minister Michael Horton. “There is disenchantment with market-driven approaches [like Warren’s]. A new generation is looking for a little bit more seriousness and depth.”

Read the full Daily Beast/Newsweek story here.

Brash Brazen December 13, 2012 at 07:59 am
RICK WHO ???
Bite Koch December 13, 2012 at 02:53 pm
The short answer? No.
Narwhal of Reason December 13, 2012 at 04:28 pm
Nice try, Newsweek. Rick Warren is relevant to the 20,000+ people who attend Saddleback Church every week. More than read Newsweek I'm sure.
M.Legison December 13, 2012 at 04:53 pm
A more salient question would be "is Barack Obama" still relevant?"
For the zero tolerance secular progressives, Rick Warren is either a threat or an irritant. Although I'm not a big fan or member of Saddleback or Bayside (modeled after Saddleback), they are both highly successful with social programs that are not taxpayer funded and can provide extreme value for a wide range of demographics and lifestyles.
Brash Brazen December 13, 2012 at 05:10 pm
Obama is relevant,it's the Republicans who've become irrelevant & marginalized by California voters ! We can help close the deficit by taxing the hell out of the divinely delusional who've never paid their fair share for the services that the rest of the community subsidizes ! It's called stealing in the name of the Lord !!!
desertpatriot December 13, 2012 at 05:11 pm
never heard of him
Bwood December 13, 2012 at 05:57 pm
You're asking if Obama is still relevant after winning re-election? This article is just an infomercial for Rick Warren who was only marginally relevant ten years ago when he was hawking his book. Since then, he has left the auditorium..
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt December 13, 2012 at 06:10 pm
He could have been if he hadn't abandoned his pretenses of bipartisanship and hadn't gone on his "Christians are being repressed!" rant over health care. Well, he knew where the money was, and it wasn't in pretending to care about America, it was in getting his flock whipped into a frenzy so he can fundraise off them.
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt December 13, 2012 at 06:12 pm
All churches are subsidized by taxpayers, thanks to their tax-exempt status.
Toni Leance December 13, 2012 at 09:46 pm
1,527,000 + or - these are audited circulation numbers. Advertisers insisted on independent audits of circulation when they make their media buys.
ATC December 13, 2012 at 10:36 pm
He was never really "relevant" to begin with. File him between the Jonas Bros and Snookie.
Sarah Creeley December 13, 2012 at 11:40 pm
Really, Patch? This feels like a new low. Is there nothing positive or interesting to say about our communities? There is a lot going on in Hercules, and I would imagine in Pinole, but it is not reflected in our Patch. The Hercules Dinner Dance Gala that raised $200.00 short of $20,000 to help our Hercules Library. The Tree Lighting with its great attendance and community involvememnt. The newly founded Hercules Democratic Club, that wants to support education and community. So many things, decisions at City Hall, where are those articles?
John Hanson December 14, 2012 at 12:02 am
Patch has gone down hill since Martin left. Check school new, nothing on page really?
Mark Paxson December 14, 2012 at 01:44 am
Patch has gone downhill since it stopped being the local patches it was intended to be and still claims to be, although it has become a network of connected sites cross-posting virtually everything. Somewhat disappointing.
Mark Paxson December 14, 2012 at 01:49 am
Keep working it, M., keep working it. Say it often enough and long enough, you'll eventually be right. But, by then you'll have even less credibility than you do now.
To many of us tolerant progressives, Rick Warren is just another voice. Nothing more or less.
Bwood December 14, 2012 at 01:12 pm
No, just plain disappointing..
M.Legison December 14, 2012 at 01:12 pm
If you track the financial news, the hyperlocal sites aren't working unless they are truly local independent publications. There's just not enough revenue. There is a lot of pressure to pull the plug on Patch, so they're probably throwing some darts to see what works best. I don't think people from Hercules care any more about a traffic accident in Elk Grove than we care about their politics so I find the mix odd and mostly uninteresting. I do think Cody is a good and fair editor and has given it his best.
desertpatriot December 14, 2012 at 02:00 pm
anyone care to opine on www.topix.net as far as local news is concerned
steve December 14, 2012 at 03:21 pm
His book only got the notoriety it did because of a young woman who was being held hostage by a gun toting rapist/killer. She talked the guy into surrendering to police after a lengthy standoff. She said she had just read the book and it gave her strength to endure the situation and inspired her to convince her captor to give his life to the lord and surrender.. Had it not been for the tragedy the book would've sat on the shelves..
M.Legison December 14, 2012 at 06:18 pm
Sounds like he became quite relevant to that young woman.
M.Legison December 15, 2012 at 12:19 am
No opinion except the NorCal SoCal thread on there is hilarious!
Mariana Zuelsdorf December 15, 2012 at 06:06 am
What and where is Hercules? While some of the non-local news is sort of interesting, I'd much rather read local news, on Patch, to find out what is happening in the our communities. I wouldn't want to see Patch become another Facebook!
Summer Hemphill December 15, 2012 at 07:41 pm
Rick Warren isn't a false prophet,he's all profit as his piosity is only exceeded by his greed !!!
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