Be willing to let people leave the church. And I told you earlier the fact that people are gonna leave the church no matter what you do. But when you define the vision, you're choosing who leaves. You say, "But Rick, yes, they're the pillars of the church." Now, you know what pillars are. Pillars are people who hold things up … And in your church, you may have to have some blessed subtractions before you have any real additions.

"Building a Purpose Driven Church" seminar, Saddleback Church (January 1998), quoted in "The Church Growth Movement: An Analysis of Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven" Church", in Foundation Magazine (March-April 1998)