Doug Fields

Doug Fields has been a pastor to teenagers and ministry leader for over 30 years. After graduating Vanguard University in 1984, he received his MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary. He served as a youth pastor at Mariners Church before becoming the youth and teaching pastor at Saddleback Church in 1992, where he earned a national reputation for his practical ideas and strategies.

With an ever-growing demand of speaking, writing and leadership/ministry consulting, Doug resigned from Saddleback Church in September 2009. This allows him to pursue ministry opportunities that best aligned with his gift for teaching, relational leadership and still gives him a volunteer opportunity to engage in his first love: “in-the-trenches” ministry to teenagers and youth workers. 

Doug is the author of more than 50 books, including Purpose Driven Youth Ministry which is a Gold Medallion award-winning book and a youth ministry textbook used all over the world. Doug is also the founder of Simply Youth Ministry, which is a resource company designed to help youth workers save time and simplify their ministry.

Today, most of Doug's time is spent speaking at conferences/churches/events, writing, teaching youth ministry at Azusa Pacific University and providing leadership and resources as part of the Youth Specialties Team.

Of all these things, Doug would say his greatest accomplishment is marrying way out of his league to Cathy, his wife of 25 years, and having three children; Torie, Cody and Cassie.