Well, after you read this one, read the preceding one, "The Purpose Driven Church" where Rick Warren uses out-of-context scripture quotes to achieve his method of tearing a church apart by driving everyone over 50 out. He advocates removing "Traditional music" in favor of whatever is popular according to polling results. Sounds like Bill Clinton's leadership to me. Rick Warren has made millions, but his method of "growing a church" in Southern California is far different that growing a church elsewhere. Read his works carefully, and take them with a huge block of salt.
Not true. I attended Saddleback for several years and that is simply not the case.
Right, the people who originally started the church and built it up around the doctrines, beliefs and way of doing things that they believed were best are usurped. New people take over and all the older members who do not want everything changed tyrannically are kicked out. Many times the older members and those that like the church the way it is are the people that have paid for expensive church buildings with their tithes and offerings and they are kicked out and the "purpose driven people" now have not only destroyed the church as it was founded and grown but have acquired a huge amount of property that they never paid for.
I need to have our Grandson respond to this thread. He has been going for the last year or so, and they put him in a group that has no leader. Doesn't sound like any of the groups have a real leader. They sit around and BS, talking about their "issues", but there is no teaching. Blind leading the blind.
You're correct about the concern about Warren. Some who question his methods argue that the church should be "spirit led" not purpose driven. His approach smacks of typical marketing tactics--find out what the public wants and give it to them. If members of your congregation object, too bad. Those who don't agree can just leave. Get rid of hymns and traditional music. People listen to rock and rap--the old hymns are passe according to Warren.
Do a Google search on Warren and see the legitimate, carefully-considered criticism of him. His church markets his program with books, trinkets, videos, and other propaganda. My church ordered boxes of the crap when they were following his program. Unfortunately this Georgia tragedy is only going to get him more attention.