Last month, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church–the second largest Southern Baptist congregation in the country–ordained three women pastors in defiance of the Scriptures and the Southern Baptist official statement of faith. Shortly after defiling this biblical office, Warren will be stepping down as lead pastor.

This past Sunday, the Orange County Register reports, Warren announced to his congregation that he would be retiring and that the search for a new pastor would begin immediately.

Warren said according to the Register that his successor would take the lead role with the church and he will step back into a less “visible position as founding pastor,” but he and his wife, Kay, will remain part of Saddleback into their older years.

“For 42 years, Kay and I have known this day would eventually arrive and we’ve been waiting for God’s perfect timing,” he said.

Warren told the congregation that during a prayer retreat in early 2020 prior to the pandemic, he and his wife sought “a clearer vision” from God on their retirement, but they did not feel comfortable leaving after that retreat. He now says that he can see why God held him there; “It would have been practically impossible for a new pastor to hold our church family together without being able to hold public worship services for over a year,” he said.

Of course, the problem with a man-centered church like Saddleback is that the church is bound together by a celebrity pastor rather than by the blood of Christ. This is why Warren’s church would have fallen apart; because the church is devoid of Christ. A true Church of the living God with Christ as the head will thrive in any situation. Historically, the true bride of Christ thrives during times of hardship.

At this time, it is not known if Saddleback will seek to replace Warren with a woman in the lead role. Though, it wouldn’t make a difference as the church is already apostate.