Saddleback to Hold 25th Anniversary Celebration Event Tomorrow

LOS ANGELES – Around 45,000 members and regular attendants of Lake Forest, Calif.’s Saddleback Church, along with Christian leaders and other guests around the world will convene tomorrow at Edison International Field in Anaheim to celebrate the church’s 25th anniversary and the founding of the Purpose Driven Movement.

Saddleback Church, founded and pastored by renown author Rick Warren, has grown to 20,000 members since the ministry began in 1980 with seven people meeting in Pastor Rick and Kay Warren’s apartment. Meanwhile, since the Purpose Driven Movement began, millions of lives have been transformed through tens of thousands of churches in 150 countries. Over 350,000 pastors and leaders in 120 countries have been trained in Purpose Driven Seminars, and over 20,000 churches in 28 countries have completed 40 Days of Purpose.

During the 25th anniversary celebration, Warren – who is featured in the current TIME cover story listing of the 100 most influential individuals for 2005 – will unveil “the church’s commitment to a new reformation in Christianity and vision for a worldwide spiritual awakening in the 21st Century through the PEACE Plan, that will mobilize one billion people in missions by the year 2020,” according to A Larry Ross Communications, the public relations agency representing Warren.

The anniversary event will also celebrate the official inauguration of the global Purpose Driven movement.

In addition to Warren, other program participants include Chuck Colson from Prison Fellowship and Gaddi Vasquez, Director of the Peace Corps, along with special musical guests Michael Tait and Salvador. One or more musical guests will be performing a post-event concert.

Also attending will be the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.

According to Saddleback Church, the event at the former Angel Stadium is a part of the church’s month-long anniversary celebration.