Kay Warren

Kay Warren, author, speaker and Bible teacher, cofounded Saddleback Church with her husband, Rick Warren, in Lake Forest, California in 1980 and served there until Rick’s retirement from senior leadership in September 2022.

After the death of her son, Matthew, who lived with serious mental illness for most of his life, she founded Saddleback’s Hope for Mental Health Initiative and the Hope for Mental Health Community to provide a safe and welcoming place for individuals and families to receive accurate psychoeducation, build community and be fully incorporated into the life of the church.

In 2019, Kay created BREATHE, a ministry specifically designed to support parents of children living with serious mental illness. BREATHE events include weekend respite retreats for moms, online retreats for moms and dads, Zoom prayer calls with parents, as well as webinars with leading mental health professionals.

In 2024, Kay launched Hope for Brighter Tomorrows, a Christian nonprofit organization that strengthens families impacted by mental health challenges and equips churches to support these families. Kay was a board member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention for 8 years and is active in mental health/suicide prevention efforts in Orange County, CA. Kay is the author of Sacred Privilege: Your Life and Ministry as a Pastor’s Wife, Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough, Say Yes to God: A Call to Courageous Surrender, and coauthor of Foundations, a popular systematic theology course used by churches worldwide. Her children are Amy, Josh, and Matthew (who is in heaven), and she has five grandchildren. Learn more at www.kaywarren.com and follow her on Twitter (KayWarren1) and Instagram (Kaywarren75).