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{{Short description|Large Christian house of worship; generally Protestant}}
{{Short description|Large Christian house of worship; generally Protestant}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2022}}
[[File:Angelus Temple Dream Center Service.jpg|thumb|Worship service at [[Angelus Temple]]. Today, it is affiliated with the [[Foursquare Church]]]]
A '''megachurch''' is a [[Church (congregation)|church]] with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. Most megachurches are [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]], although the term denotes a type of organization, not a [[Christian denomination|denomination]]. Megachurches are generally defined as any Protestant Christian church that on average draws 2,000 or more people per week.


A '''megachurch''' is a [[Church (congregation)|church]] with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. Most megachurches are [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]], although the term denotes a type of organization, not a denomination. A megachurch draws 2,000 or more people in a weekend.
The first megachurch was established in [[London]] in 1861. More emerged in the 20th century, especially in the United States, and expanded rapidly through the 1980s and 1990s. In the 21st century, megachurches became widespread in the United States and a growing phenomenon in several African countries and Australia. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, they shifted away from traditional church architecture, with most newer ones having [[stadium]]-type seating, with a few such as [[Lakewood Church]] even being based in former or active [[Arena|arenas]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Allen |date=2019-04-27 |title=What is a megachurch? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/27/us/what-is-a-megachurch-explainer/index.html |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>
 
The first megachurch was established in [[London]] in 1861. More emerged in the 20th century, especially in the United States, and expanded rapidly through the 1980s and 1990s. In the 21st century, megachurches became widespread in the United States and a growing phenomenon in several African countries and [[Australia]]. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, they shifted away from traditional church architecture, with most newer ones having [[stadium]]-type seating.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Allen |date=2019-04-27 |title=What is a megachurch? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/27/us/what-is-a-megachurch-explainer/index.html |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
[[File:MetTabernacle.jpg|thumb|[[Baptists|Baptist]] [[Metropolitan Tabernacle]], in [[London]], England]]
[[File:MetTabernacle.jpg|thumb|[[Metropolitan Tabernacle]], in [[London]], England]]
The origins of the megachurch movement, with many local congregants who returned on a weekly basis, can be traced to the 19th century.{{sfn|Loveland|Wheeler|2003|p=35}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hirr.hartsem.edu/bookshelf/thumma_article2.html |title=Exploring the Megachurch Phenomena: Their characteristics and cultural context |publisher=Hirr.HartSem.edu |access-date=6 February 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101100905/http://hirr.hartsem.edu/bookshelf/thumma_article2.html |archive-date=November 1, 2015 }}</ref> There were large churches earlier, but they were considerably rarer.
The origins of the megachurch movement, with many local congregants who returned on a weekly basis, can be traced to the 19th century.{{sfn|Loveland|Wheeler|2003|p=35}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hirr.hartsem.edu/bookshelf/thumma_article2.html |title=Exploring the Megachurch Phenomena: Their characteristics and cultural context |publisher=Hirr.HartSem.edu |access-date=6 February 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101100905/http://hirr.hartsem.edu/bookshelf/thumma_article2.html |archive-date=November 1, 2015 }}</ref> There were large churches earlier, but they were considerably rarer.


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== Features ==
== Features ==
A megachurch has been defined by Hartford Institute for Religion Research (2006) and others as any Protestant Christian church which at least 2,000 attend in a [[weekend]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usachurches.org/church-sizes.htm |title=Church Sizes |publisher=www.USAChurches.org The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=29 August 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last = Baird| first = Julia | title = The good and bad of religion-lite | url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/the-good-and-bad-of-religionlite/2006/02/22/1140563858123.html | access-date = 5 November 2006 | date=23 February 2006}}</ref><ref>Turner, Bryan S.; ''The New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion'', John Wiley & Sons, 2010, p. 251.</ref><ref name="hartford" /> The [[OED]] suggests that megachurches often include educational and social activities and are usually Protestant and Evangelical.<ref>{{OED|megachurch|id=115861}}</ref> These large congregations are a significant development in Protestant Christianity.{{sfn|Loveland|Wheeler|2003|p=3}}
A megachurch has been defined by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research (2006) and others as any Protestant Christian church attended by at least 2,000 people in a [[weekend]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usachurches.org/church-sizes.htm |title=Church Sizes |publisher=www.USAChurches.org The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=29 August 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last = Baird| first = Julia | title = The good and bad of religion-lite | url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/the-good-and-bad-of-religionlite/2006/02/22/1140563858123.html | access-date = 5 November 2006 | date=23 February 2006}}</ref><ref>Turner, Bryan S.; ''The New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion'', John Wiley & Sons, 2010, p. 251.</ref><ref name="hartford" /> The [[OED]] suggests that megachurches often include educational and social activities and are usually Protestant and Evangelical.<ref>{{OED|megachurch|id=115861}}</ref> These large congregations are a significant development in Protestant Christianity.{{sfn|Loveland|Wheeler|2003|p=3}}


Most of these churches build their buildings in the suburbs of large cities, near major roads and highways, to be visible to as many people as possible and easily accessible by car.{{sfn|Hunt|2019|p=77}}<ref> Wilford, Justin G.; ''Sacred Subdivisions: The Postsuburban Transformation of American Evangelicalism'', NYU Press, 2012, p. 78.</ref> Some install a large cross as decoration for believers and to signal to potential new members.{{sfn|Loveland|Wheeler|2003|p=156}}
Most of these churches build their buildings in the suburbs of large cities, near major roads and highways, to be visible to as many people as possible and easily accessible by car.{{sfn|Hunt|2019|p=77}}<ref> Wilford, Justin G.; ''Sacred Subdivisions: The Postsuburban Transformation of American Evangelicalism'', NYU Press, 2012, p. 78.</ref> Some install a large [[Christian cross|cross]] as decoration for believers and to signal to potential new members.{{sfn|Loveland|Wheeler|2003|p=156}}


A 2020 study by the Hartford Institute found that 70 percent of American megachurches had a [[Multi-site church|multi-site]] network and an average of 7.6 [[Church service|services]] per weekend.<ref>[https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2020/november-web-exclusives/us-megachurches-multisite-small-group-hartford.html Maria Baer "US Megachurches Are Getting Bigger and Thinking Smaller" christianitytoday.com, 19 November 2020]</ref> The study also found that most U.S. megachurches are in Florida, Texas, California, and Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Allen |last=Kim |title=What is a megachurch? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/27/us/what-is-a-megachurch-explainer/index.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=CNN |date=27 April 2019}}</ref>
A 2020 study by the Hartford Institute found that 70 percent of American megachurches had a [[Multi-site church|multi-site]] network and an average of 7.6 [[Church service|services]] per weekend.<ref>[https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2020/november-web-exclusives/us-megachurches-multisite-small-group-hartford.html Maria Baer "US Megachurches Are Getting Bigger and Thinking Smaller" christianitytoday.com, 19 November 2020]</ref> The study also found that most U.S. megachurches are in Florida, Texas, California, and Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Allen |last=Kim |title=What is a megachurch? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/27/us/what-is-a-megachurch-explainer/index.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=CNN |date=27 April 2019}}</ref>


Churches that gather more than 10,000 people every Sunday have been dubbed ''gigachurches''.<ref> {{Cite web |last=Tribune |first=Jeff Strickler Star |title=What makes a gigachurch go? |url=https://www.startribune.com/what-makes-a-gigachurch-go/25636704/ |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Star Tribune}} </ref><ref> Stanley D. Brunn, ''The Changing World Religion Map: Sacred Places, Identities, Practices and Politics'', Springer, USA, 2015, p. 1683</ref> In 2015, there were about 100 gigachurches in the United States. <ref>[https://outreachmagazine.com/features/14529-multisite-2016-whats-new-and-whats-next.html Multisite 2016: What’s New and What’s Next? outreachmagazine.com, Jim Tomberlin, 31 December 2015] </ref>
Churches that gather more than 10,000 people every Sunday have been dubbed ''gigachurches''.<ref> {{Cite web |last=Tribune |first=Jeff Strickler Star |title=What makes a gigachurch go? |url=https://www.startribune.com/what-makes-a-gigachurch-go/25636704/ |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Star Tribune|date=20 July 2008 }} </ref><ref> Stanley D. Brunn, ''The Changing World Religion Map: Sacred Places, Identities, Practices and Politics'', Springer, USA, 2015, p. 1683</ref> In 2015, there were about 100 gigachurches in the United States.<ref>[https://outreachmagazine.com/features/14529-multisite-2016-whats-new-and-whats-next.html Multisite 2016: What’s New and What’s Next? outreachmagazine.com, Jim Tomberlin, 31 December 2015] </ref>


Several megachurch pastors also preach on television or radio programs, thereby also being [[televangelism|televangelists]]. [[Aimee Semple McPherson]] was a pioneer of radio evangelism and a founder of an early megachurch. [[Robert Schuller]], [[Oral Roberts]], [[Jerry Falwell]], [[Joel Osteen]], and [[T. D. Jakes]] developed both megachurch and television audiences.
Several megachurch pastors also preach on television or radio programs, thereby also being [[televangelists]]. [[Aimee Semple McPherson]] was a pioneer of radio evangelism and a founder of an early megachurch. [[Robert Schuller]], [[Oral Roberts]], [[Jerry Falwell]], [[Joel Osteen]], and [[T. D. Jakes]] developed both megachurch and television audiences.


== Statistics ==
== Statistics ==
Exponential counts 270 evangelical megachurches worldwide (excluding Canada and the United States). <ref> Warren Bird, [https://exponential.org/world/ World Megachurches], exponential.org, accessed February 5, 2025</ref> The Hartford Institute counts over 1,800 megachurches in the United States <ref>Hartford Institute, [https://hirr.hartfordinternational.edu/research/megachurch-research/ Database of Megachurches in the U.S.], hirr.hartfordinternational.edu, USA, accessed February 5, 2025</ref> and 35 in Canada.<ref>Hartford Institute, [http://www.hartfordinstitute.org/megachurch/canadian-megachurches.html Megachurches of Canada], hartfordinstitute.org, USA, accessed February 5, 2025</ref>
Exponential counts 270 evangelical megachurches worldwide (excluding Canada and the United States).<ref> Warren Bird, [https://exponential.org/world/ World Megachurches], exponential.org, accessed February 5, 2025</ref> The Hartford Institute counts over 1,800 megachurches in the United States <ref>Hartford Institute, [https://hirr.hartfordinternational.edu/research/megachurch-research/ Database of Megachurches in the U.S.], hirr.hartfordinternational.edu, USA, accessed February 5, 2025</ref> and 35 in Canada.<ref>Hartford Institute, [http://www.hartfordinstitute.org/megachurch/canadian-megachurches.html Megachurches of Canada] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306075806/http://www.hartfordinstitute.org/megachurch/canadian-megachurches.html |date=2016-03-06 }}, hartfordinstitute.org, USA, accessed February 5, 2025</ref>


== By region ==
== By region ==


=== Africa ===
=== Africa ===
[[File: Glory dome building, Abuja (cropped).jpg|thumb|right| [[The Glory Dome]], affiliated with Dunamis International Gospel Center, with 100,000 seats, in [[Abuja]], Nigeria]]
[[File: Glory dome building, Abuja (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|The Glory Dome, affiliated with [[Dunamis International Gospel Centre|Dunamis International Gospel Center]], with 100,000 seats, in [[Abuja]], Nigeria]]
Megachurches are found in many countries of [[Sub-Saharan]] Africa, including [[Tanzania]], Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.<ref name=ukah>{{cite book | last=Ukah | first=Asonzeh | title= Handbook of Megachurches| series= Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion, Volume 19 | chapter=Chapter 15: Sacred Surplus and Pentecostal Too-Muchness: The Salvation Economy of African Megachurches | publisher= Brill |isbn= 9789004412927| date= 2020 | pages= 323–344 | doi= 10.1163/9789004412927_017 | s2cid= 213645909 }}</ref> The largest church auditorium, [[The Glory Dome]], was inaugurated in 2018 with 100,000 seats, in [[Abuja]], Nigeria.<ref>[https://www.charismanews.com/world/74340-world-s-largest-church-auditorium-dedicated-in-nigeria Taylor Berglund (2018) World's Largest Church Auditorium Dedicated in Nigeria, charismanews.com]</ref>
Megachurches are found in many countries of [[Sub-Saharan]] Africa, including [[Tanzania]], Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.<ref name=ukah>{{cite book | last=Ukah | first=Asonzeh | title= Handbook of Megachurches| series= Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion, Volume 19 | chapter=Chapter 15: Sacred Surplus and Pentecostal Too-Muchness: The Salvation Economy of African Megachurches | publisher= Brill |isbn= 9789004412927| date= 2020 | pages= 323–344 | doi= 10.1163/9789004412927_017 | s2cid= 213645909 }}</ref> The largest church auditorium, [[The Glory Dome]], was inaugurated in 2018 with 100,000 seats, in [[Abuja]], Nigeria.<ref>[https://www.charismanews.com/world/74340-world-s-largest-church-auditorium-dedicated-in-nigeria Taylor Berglund (2018) World's Largest Church Auditorium Dedicated in Nigeria, charismanews.com]</ref>


=== America ===
=== America ===
[[File:DC Building Los Angeles.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Dream Center]] Headquarters in [[Los Angeles]]]]
[[File:DC Building Los Angeles.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Dream Center]] Headquarters in [[Los Angeles]]]]
[[File:Auto de Páscoa - IgrejaDaCidade (crop).jpg |thumb|right| Show on the life of [[Jesus Christ]] at [[City Church (Brazil)|City Church]], affiliated to the [[Brazilian Baptist Convention]], in [[São José dos Campos]]]]
[[File:Auto de Páscoa - IgrejaDaCidade (crop).jpg |thumb|right| Show on the [[life of Jesus]] at [[City Church (Brazil)|City Church]], affiliated with the [[Brazilian Baptist Convention]], in [[São José dos Campos]]]]


In 2010, the Hartford Institute's database listed more than 1,300 [[List of megachurches in the United States|megachurches in the United States]]. About 50 churches on the list had average attendance exceeding 10,000, and one had 47,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/database.html |title=Hartford Institute for Religion Research, database of Megachurches |publisher=Hirr.HartSem.edu |access-date=6 February 2010}}</ref> On one weekend in November 2015, around one in ten Protestant churchgoers in the U.S.—about 5 million people—attended service in a megachurch.<ref>{{Cite web | title = The megachurch boom rolls on, but big concerns are rising too|url = http://www.religionnews.com/2015/12/02/megachurch-evangelical-christians/ | publisher = Religion News Service | access-date = 1 February 2016|date = 2 December 2015}}</ref> Some 3,000 individual [[Catholic Church]] parishes have 2,000 or more attendants for an average Sunday Mass, but they are not called megachurches as that is a Protestant term.<ref name="hartford">{{cite web |url=http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/definition.html |title=Megachurch Definition |publisher=Hartford Institute for Religion Research |access-date=6 February 2010 |url-status = live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514173618/http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/definition.html |archive-date=May 14, 2016 }}</ref>
In 2010, the Hartford Institute's database listed more than 1,300 [[List of megachurches in the United States|megachurches in the United States]]. About 50 churches on the list had average attendance exceeding 10,000, and one had 47,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/database.html |title=Hartford Institute for Religion Research, database of Megachurches |publisher=Hirr.HartSem.edu |access-date=6 February 2010}}</ref> On one weekend in November 2015, around one in ten Protestant churchgoers in the U.S.—about 5 million people—attended service in a megachurch.<ref>{{Cite web | title = The megachurch boom rolls on, but big concerns are rising too|url = http://www.religionnews.com/2015/12/02/megachurch-evangelical-christians/ | publisher = Religion News Service | access-date = 1 February 2016|date = 2 December 2015}}</ref> Some 3,000 individual [[Catholic Church]] parishes have 2,000 or more attendants for an average Sunday Mass, but they are not called megachurches as that is a Protestant term.<ref name="hartford">{{cite web |url=http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/definition.html |title=Megachurch Definition |publisher=Hartford Institute for Religion Research |access-date=6 February 2010 |url-status = live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514173618/http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/definition.html |archive-date=May 14, 2016 }}</ref>
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=== Asia ===
=== Asia ===
In 2007, five of the ten largest Protestant churches were in South Korea.<ref name="economistcome">{{cite news |title=O come all ye faithful |url=http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10015239&CFID=25385374 |publisher=Special Report on Religion and Public Life by The Economist |page=6 |date=3 November 2007 |access-date=5 November 2007 }}</ref>  In 2007, the largest megachurch in the world by attendance was South Korea's [[Yoido Full Gospel Church]], an [[Assemblies of God]] (Pentecostal) church, with more than 830,000 members.<ref name="economistcome" /><ref>{{Cite web | date=26 June 2009 | url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/06/26/americas-biggest-megachurches-business-megachurches_slide_2.html | title=In Pictures: America's 10 Biggest Megachurches | publisher=Forbes }}</ref>
[[File:Messiah Cathedral in Night.jpg|thumb|[[Messiah Cathedral]], affiliated with the [[Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church]]]]
In 2007, five of the ten largest Protestant churches were in South Korea.<ref name="economistcome">{{cite news |title=O come all ye faithful |url=http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10015239&CFID=25385374 |publisher=Special Report on Religion and Public Life by The Economist |page=6 |date=3 November 2007 |access-date=5 November 2007 }}</ref>  In 2007, the largest megachurch in the world by attendance was South Korea's [[Yoido Full Gospel Church]], an [[Assemblies of God]] (Pentecostal) church, with more than 830,000 members.<ref name="economistcome" /><ref>{{Cite web | date=26 June 2009 | url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/06/26/americas-biggest-megachurches-business-megachurches_slide_2.html | title=In Pictures: America's 10 Biggest Megachurches | work=Forbes }}</ref>


[[Graha Bethany Nginden]], is a megachurch which is one of the largest churches in [[Surabaya]], Indonesia and [[Southeast Asia]]. The Church is affiliated with [[Bethany Indonesian Church]].
[[Graha Bethany Nginden]] is a megachurch which is one of the largest churches in [[Surabaya]], Indonesia and [[Southeast Asia]]. The Church is affiliated with [[Bethany Indonesian Church]].


=== Australia ===
=== Australia ===
Australian scholar Sam Hey wrote in 2011 that "almost all megachurch developments are [[Pentecostalism in Australia|Pentecostal]], or [[charismatic church|charismatic]] and neo-Pentecostal offshoots".<ref name=hey2011>{{cite thesis | last=Hey | first=Sam | title=God in the Suburbs and Beyond: The Emergence of an Australian Megachurch and Denomination | publisher= Griffith University | date=2011| type=PhD| doi=10.25904/1912/3059 | url=https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/handle/10072/365629 | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>
Australian scholar Sam Hey wrote in 2011 that "almost all megachurch developments are [[Pentecostalism in Australia|Pentecostal]], or [[charismatic church|charismatic]] and [[neo-Pentecostal]] offshoots".<ref name=hey2011>{{cite thesis | last=Hey | first=Sam | title=God in the Suburbs and Beyond: The Emergence of an Australian Megachurch and Denomination | publisher= Griffith University | date=2011| type=PhD| doi=10.25904/1912/3059 | url=https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/handle/10072/365629 | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>


One of the first megachurches in Australia was the [[Christian Outreach Centre]] (COC),<ref name=hey2011/> now the International Network of Churches.<ref name=incabout>{{cite web | title=About | website=International Network of Churches | url=https://www.inc.org.au/about/ | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref><ref name=hillsongleaves/>
One of the first megachurches in Australia was the [[Christian Outreach Centre]] (COC),<ref name=hey2011/> now the International Network of Churches.<ref name=incabout>{{cite web | title=About | website=International Network of Churches | url=https://www.inc.org.au/about/ | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref><ref name=hillsongleaves/>


[[Hillsong Church]] was founded in 1983 in [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], out of two [[Christian Life Centre]] churches and has since planted churches all around Australia and the world. <ref> Sam Hey, ''Megachurches: Origins, Ministry, and Prospects'', Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2013, p. 66-67, 265-266</ref> Another significant Australian international Pentecostal network is the [[C3 Church Global|C3 Global Network]], founded in 1980.<ref name=hillsongleaves>{{cite web|url=https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/hillsong-becomes-a-denomination/ |website= [[Eternity News]]|title=Hillsong becomes a denomination|date=19 September 2018}}</ref>
[[Hillsong Church]] was founded in 1983 in [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], out of two [[Christian Life Centre]] churches and has since planted churches all around Australia and the world.<ref> Sam Hey, ''Megachurches: Origins, Ministry, and Prospects'', Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2013, p. 66-67, 265-266</ref> Another significant Australian international Pentecostal network is the [[C3 Church Global|C3 Global Network]], founded in 1980.<ref name=hillsongleaves>{{cite web|url=https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/hillsong-becomes-a-denomination/ |website= [[Eternity News]]|title=Hillsong becomes a denomination|date=19 September 2018}}</ref>


== Criticism ==
== Criticism ==
In 2005, [[Baptist]] Pastor [[Al Sharpton]] criticized megachurches for focusing on "bedroom morals", statements against [[Christianity and homosexuality#Evangelical churches|same-sex marriage]] and [[Christianity and abortion|abortion]], by ignoring issues of [[social justice]], such as the immorality of war and the erosion{{clarification needed|date=November 2023}} of [[affirmative action]].<ref>Associated Press, [https://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Megachurches-have-wrong-focus-black-leaders-say-1894628.php Megachurches have wrong focus, black leaders say], chron.com, July 2, 2006.</ref>
In 2005, [[Baptist]] Pastor [[Al Sharpton]] criticized megachurches for focusing on "bedroom morals", statements against [[Christianity and homosexuality#Evangelical churches|same-sex marriage]] and [[Christianity and abortion|abortion]], by ignoring issues of [[social justice]], such as the immorality of war and the erosion{{clarification needed|date=November 2023}} of [[affirmative action]].<ref>Associated Press, [https://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Megachurches-have-wrong-focus-black-leaders-say-1894628.php Megachurches have wrong focus, black leaders say], chron.com, July 2, 2006.</ref> Some megachurches, such as C3, have similarly been criticized for presenting the church as inclusive while hiding the fact that they are strongly against gay marriage and do not allow sexually active gay members to fully participate in the church.<ref>{{cite web|title="I Fell For a "Progressive" Church, and It Was a Mistake"|publisher=Flare|url=https://www.flare.com/identity/c3-church-anti-gay/|author=Alyssa Garrison|date=December 10, 2019|accessdate=August 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title="CBC documentary on popular Toronto evangelical youth church features Queen’s alum: Documentary #BLESSED shows how Toronto’s loudest church, C3, remains silent on regressive gay rights stance while being space for youth expression"|url=https://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2020-07-18/arts/upcoming-cbc-documentary-on-popular-toronto-evangelical-youth-church-to-feature-queens-alum/|publisher=Queens University Journal|author=Cassidy McMackon|date=July 18, 2020|accessdate=August 18, 2020}}</ref>
 
A study by the Hartford Institute published in 2020 found that 60 percent of American megachurches were members of a Christian denomination.<ref>Bird, Warren; Thumma, Scott; [http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/2020_Megachurch_Report.pdf Megachurch 2020 : The Changing Reality in America’s Largest Churches] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531045459/http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/2020_Megachurch_Report.pdf |date=2023-05-31 }}, hirr.hartsem.edu, 2020.</ref> In 2018, American professor [[Scot McKnight]] of [[Northern Baptist Theological Seminary]] criticized nondenominational megachurches for the weak external accountability relationship of their leaders, by not being members of a [[Christian denomination]], further exposing them to abuse of power.<ref>Wellman, James Jr.; Corcoran, Katie; Stockly, Kate; Ficquet, Éloi; ''High on God: How Megachurches Won the Heart of America'', Oxford University Press, 2020, p. 212</ref>


A study by the Hartford Institute published in 2020 found that 60 percent of American megachurches were members of a Christian denomination.<ref>Bird, Warren; Thumma, Scott; [http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/2020_Megachurch_Report.pdf Megachurch 2020 : The Changing Reality in America’s Largest Churches], hirr.hartsem.edu, 2020.</ref> In 2018, American professor [[Scot McKnight]] of [[Northern Baptist Theological Seminary]] criticized nondenominational megachurches for the weak external accountability relationship of their leaders, by not being members of a [[Christian denomination]], further exposing them to abuse of power.<ref>Wellman, James Jr.; Corcoran, Katie; Stockly, Kate; Ficquet, Éloi; ''High on God: How Megachurches Won the Heart of America'', Oxford University Press, 2020, p. 212</ref>
Some megachurches and their pastors have been accused by critics of promoting [[prosperity theology]], where the poor and vulnerable are encouraged to donate their money to the church rather than saving it, in the hopes that God will bless them with wealth.<ref>{{Cite news| last=Biema| first=David Van| date=3 October 2008| publisher=Time magazine| title=Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess| url=http://content.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1847053,00.html| access-date=March 30, 2021| issn=0040-781X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=1 December 2017 |title=How Megachurches Blurred the Line Between Religion and Riches |url=https://people.howstuffworks.com/do-megachurches-preach-that-prayer-will-make-rich.htm |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=HowStuffWorks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Worst Ideas of the Decade  |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/opinions/outlook/worst-ideas/prosperity-gospel.html |access-date=March 30, 2021 |work=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> This in turn increases the wealth of the pastors, with some revealed to wear designer clothing during sermons and own luxury vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Niemietz|first=Brian|title=Megachurch preacher buys wife a $200,000 Lamborghini, tells parishioners 'Don't confuse what I do with who I am'|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ny-news-john-gray-mega-church-lamborghini-20181216-story.html|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=nydailynews.com|date=16 December 2018 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rojas |first=Rick |date=17 April 2019 |title=Let He Who Is Without Yeezys Cast the First Stone |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/nyregion/preachers-sneakers-instagram-account.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Stevens |first1=Alexis |author2=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |title=Creflo Dollar's ministry says he will get his $65 million jet |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local/creflo-dollar-ministry-says-will-get-his-million-jet/Z1Oa81oGK9BYz1LO4KswAK/ |access-date=30 March 2021 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref>


Some megachurches and their pastors have been accused by critics of promoting [[prosperity theology]], where the poor and vulnerable are encouraged to donate their money to the church rather than saving it, in the hopes that God will bless them with wealth.<ref>{{Cite news| last=Biema| first=David Van| date=3 October 2008| publisher=Time magazine| title=Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess| url=http://content.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1847053,00.html| access-date=March 30, 2021| issn=0040-781X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=1 December 2017 |title=How Megachurches Blurred the Line Between Religion and Riches |url=https://people.howstuffworks.com/do-megachurches-preach-that-prayer-will-make-rich.htm |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=HowStuffWorks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Worst Ideas of the Decade  |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/opinions/outlook/worst-ideas/prosperity-gospel.html |access-date=March 30, 2021 |publisher=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> This in turn increases the wealth of the pastors, with some revealed to wear designer clothing during sermons and own luxury vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Niemietz|first=Brian|title=Megachurch preacher buys wife a $200,000 Lamborghini, tells parishioners 'Don't confuse what I do with who I am'|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ny-news-john-gray-mega-church-lamborghini-20181216-story.html|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=nydailynews.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rojas |first=Rick |date=17 April 2019 |title=Let He Who Is Without Yeezys Cast the First Stone |publisher=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/nyregion/preachers-sneakers-instagram-account.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Stevens |first1=Alexis |author2=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |title=Creflo Dollar's ministry says he will get his $65 million jet |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local/creflo-dollar-ministry-says-will-get-his-million-jet/Z1Oa81oGK9BYz1LO4KswAK/ |access-date=30 March 2021 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref>
==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==
* Several documentaries have been released focusing on megachurches, their charismatic leaders and their controversies, such as ''Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo'' and ''Secretos del Apostol'' (focusing on the Mexican megachurch [[La Luz del Mundo]] and the crimes of [[Naasón Joaquín García]], the third leader of La Luz del Mundo), ''[[God Loves Uganda]]'' (focusing on the [[Miracle Centre Cathedral]], a megachurch located in [[Kampala]], the capital of [[Uganda]] and led by the famous Nigerian pastor and televangelist [[Robert Kayanja]]), ''The Secrets of Hillsong'' and ''[[Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed]]'' (focusing on [[Hillsong Church]] and the scandals of its founder, [[Brian Houston]]) and ''The Billionaire Bishop and the Global Megachurch'' (focusing on the [[Universal Church of the Kingdom of God]] and the numerous controversies of its founder, [[Edir Macedo]]).
* Several documentaries have been released focusing on megachurches, their charismatic leaders and their controversies, such as ''Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo'' and ''Secretos del Apostol'' (focusing on the Mexican megachurch [[La Luz del Mundo]] and the crimes of [[Naasón Joaquín García]], the third leader of La Luz del Mundo), ''[[God Loves Uganda]]'' (focusing on the [[Miracle Centre Cathedral]], a megachurch located in [[Kampala]], the capital of [[Uganda]] and led by the famous [[Ugandan]] pastor and televangelist [[Robert Kayanja]]), ''The Secrets of Hillsong'' and ''[[Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed]]'' (focusing on [[Hillsong Church]] and the scandals of its founder, [[Brian Houston]]) and ''The Billionaire Bishop and the Global Megachurch'' (focusing on the [[Universal Church of the Kingdom of God]] and the numerous controversies of its founder, [[Edir Macedo]]).
* One of the main settings of the two-part episode of the [[The Simpsons (31st season)|thirty-first season]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[Warrin' Priests]]" is a megachurch located in [[Traverse City, Michigan]] called Blessed Buy Megachurch (in reference to [[Best Buy]]), led by a charismatic leader named Reverend Mac (voiced by [[Kevin Michael Richardson]]) and of which the episode's main antagonist, Bode Wright (voiced by [[Pete Holmes]]) was a member before being expelled for burning the [[Holy Bible]].
* One of the main settings of the two-part episode of the [[The Simpsons (31st season)|thirty-first season]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[Warrin' Priests]]" is a megachurch located in [[Traverse City, Michigan]], called Blessed Buy Megachurch (in reference to [[Best Buy]]), led by a charismatic leader named Reverend Mac (voiced by [[Kevin Michael Richardson]]) and of which the episode's main antagonist, Bode Wright (voiced by [[Pete Holmes]]) was a member before being expelled for burning the [[Holy Bible]].
* The 2015 [[Lifetime Movie Network]] [[thriller film]] ''[[Megachurch Murder]]'' has as its central plot the murder ([[Cover-up|disguised]] as a [[suicide]]) of Pastor Hamilton Spears (played by [[Malcolm-Jamal Warner]]), the charismatic and popular leader of a Southern megachurch.
* The 2015 [[Lifetime Movie Network]] [[thriller film]] ''[[Megachurch Murder]]'' has as its central plot the murder ([[Cover-up|disguised]] as a [[suicide]]) of Pastor Hamilton Spears (played by [[Malcolm-Jamal Warner]]), the charismatic and popular leader of a Southern megachurch.
* The 2016 [[Oprah Winfrey Network|OWN]] [[drama series]] ''[[Greenleaf (TV series)|Greenleaf]]'' focuses on a [[Memphis, Tennessee]] megachurch called Calvary Fellowship World Ministries, led by Bishop James Greenleaf (played by [[Keith David]]), a charismatic and strong religious leader, and his wife, "First Lady" Daisy Mae Greenleaf (played by [[Lynn Whitfield]]).
* The 2016 [[Oprah Winfrey Network|OWN]] [[drama series]] ''[[Greenleaf (TV series)|Greenleaf]]'' focuses on a [[Memphis, Tennessee]] megachurch called Calvary Fellowship World Ministries, led by Bishop James Greenleaf (played by [[Keith David]]), a charismatic and strong religious leader, and his wife, "First Lady" Daisy Mae Greenleaf (played by [[Lynn Whitfield]]).
* One of the recurring characters in the 2016 animated sitcom ''[[Bordertown (American TV series)|Bordertown]]'', Reverend Fantastic (voiced by [[John Viener]]) is a charismatic religious leader who is the head of the unnamed megachurch located in Mexifornia, a city located in the border of [[California]] and [[Mexico]] who is the main setting of the series.
* One of the recurring characters in the 2016 animated sitcom ''[[Bordertown (American TV series)|Bordertown]]'', Reverend Fantastic (voiced by [[John Viener]]) is a charismatic religious leader who is the head of the unnamed megachurch located in Mexifornia, a city located in the border of [[California]] and [[Mexico]] which is the main setting of the series.
* One of the main characters in the 2017 [[psychological thriller]] ''[[First Reformed]]'', Pastor Joel Jeffers (played by [[Cedric the Entertainer]]) is the head pastor of the "Abundant Life Church", a megachurch located in [[Albany, New York]].
* One of the main characters in the 2017 [[psychological thriller]] ''[[First Reformed]]'', Pastor Joel Jeffers (played by [[Cedric the Entertainer]]) is the head pastor of the "Abundant Life Church", a megachurch located in [[Albany, New York]].
* The popular [[HBO]] comedy-drama series ''[[The Righteous Gemstones]]'' focuses primarily on The Gemstones Ministries, a church network founded and led by Dr. Eli Gemstone (played by [[John Goodman]] and Jake Kelley in his younger version), a charismatic [[Southern United States|Southern]] pastor, Christian religious leader and televangelist who is one of the series' main characters, the founder and senior pastor of The Gemstones Ministries. In particular, the main setting of the series is the Gemstone Salvation Center, a megachurch located in [[North Charleston, South Carolina]] that is considered the flagship church of Gemstone Ministries and was the first church founded by Eli Gemstone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2019/09/01/what-the-megachurch-tells-us-about-evangelicals-in-hbos-the-righteous-gemstones/|title=What the megachurch tells us about evangelicals in HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones"|website=[[Salon.com]]|date=2019-09-01|access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/03/style/righteous-gemstones-costumes-cec|title=What ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ got right about megachurch fashion|website=[[CNN Style]]|date=2025-05-03|access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref>
* The popular [[HBO]] comedy-drama series ''[[The Righteous Gemstones]]'' focuses primarily on The Gemstones Ministries, a church network founded and led by Dr. Eli Gemstone (played by [[John Goodman]] and Jake Kelley in his younger version), a charismatic [[Southern United States|Southern]] pastor, Christian religious leader and televangelist who is one of the series' main characters, the founder and senior pastor of The Gemstones Ministries. In particular, the main setting of the series is the Gemstone Salvation Center, a megachurch located in [[North Charleston, South Carolina]] that is considered the flagship church of Gemstone Ministries and was the first church founded by Eli Gemstone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2019/09/01/what-the-megachurch-tells-us-about-evangelicals-in-hbos-the-righteous-gemstones/|title=What the megachurch tells us about evangelicals in HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones"|website=[[Salon.com]]|date=2019-09-01|access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/03/style/righteous-gemstones-costumes-cec|title=What 'The Righteous Gemstones' got right about megachurch fashion|website=[[CNN Style]]|date=2025-05-03|access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref>
* The 2022 [[mockumentary]] [[comedy film]] ''[[Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.]]'' is set in a [[Southern Baptist Convention]] megachurch called "Wander to Greater Paths", led by Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (played by [[Sterling K. Brown]]) and his wife, First Lady Trinitie Childs (played by [[Regina Hall]]).
* The 2022 [[mockumentary]] comedy film ''[[Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.]]'' is set in a [[Southern Baptist Convention]] megachurch called "Wander to Greater Paths", led by Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (played by [[Sterling K. Brown]]) and his wife, First Lady Trinitie Childs (played by [[Regina Hall]]).


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 74: Line 76:
* [[List of the largest evangelical church auditoriums]]
* [[List of the largest evangelical church auditoriums]]
* [[List of megachurches in the United States]]
* [[List of megachurches in the United States]]
* [[Pentecostalism in Australia]]


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 15:45, 30 December 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use American English

File:Angelus Temple Dream Center Service.jpg
Worship service at Angelus Temple. Today, it is affiliated with the Foursquare Church

A megachurch is a church with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. Most megachurches are evangelical, although the term denotes a type of organization, not a denomination. Megachurches are generally defined as any Protestant Christian church that on average draws 2,000 or more people per week.

The first megachurch was established in London in 1861. More emerged in the 20th century, especially in the United States, and expanded rapidly through the 1980s and 1990s. In the 21st century, megachurches became widespread in the United States and a growing phenomenon in several African countries and Australia. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, they shifted away from traditional church architecture, with most newer ones having stadium-type seating, with a few such as Lakewood Church even being based in former or active arenas.[1]

History

File:MetTabernacle.jpg
Metropolitan Tabernacle, in London, England

The origins of the megachurch movement, with many local congregants who returned on a weekly basis, can be traced to the 19th century.Template:Sfn[2] There were large churches earlier, but they were considerably rarer.

The first evangelical megachurch was founded in 1861 in London by Charles Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, which had a 6,000-seat auditorium.Template:Sfn

The first megachurch in the United States was the Angelus Temple, founded in 1923 by Aimee Semple McPherson in a 5,300-seat auditorium in Los Angeles.[3]

Features

A megachurch has been defined by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research (2006) and others as any Protestant Christian church attended by at least 2,000 people in a weekend.[4][5][6][7] The OED suggests that megachurches often include educational and social activities and are usually Protestant and Evangelical.[8] These large congregations are a significant development in Protestant Christianity.Template:Sfn

Most of these churches build their buildings in the suburbs of large cities, near major roads and highways, to be visible to as many people as possible and easily accessible by car.Template:Sfn[9] Some install a large cross as decoration for believers and to signal to potential new members.Template:Sfn

A 2020 study by the Hartford Institute found that 70 percent of American megachurches had a multi-site network and an average of 7.6 services per weekend.[10] The study also found that most U.S. megachurches are in Florida, Texas, California, and Georgia.[11]

Churches that gather more than 10,000 people every Sunday have been dubbed gigachurches.[12][13] In 2015, there were about 100 gigachurches in the United States.[14]

Several megachurch pastors also preach on television or radio programs, thereby also being televangelists. Aimee Semple McPherson was a pioneer of radio evangelism and a founder of an early megachurch. Robert Schuller, Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell, Joel Osteen, and T. D. Jakes developed both megachurch and television audiences.

Statistics

Exponential counts 270 evangelical megachurches worldwide (excluding Canada and the United States).[15] The Hartford Institute counts over 1,800 megachurches in the United States [16] and 35 in Canada.[17]

By region

Africa

File:Glory dome building, Abuja (cropped).jpg
The Glory Dome, affiliated with Dunamis International Gospel Center, with 100,000 seats, in Abuja, Nigeria

Megachurches are found in many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.[18] The largest church auditorium, The Glory Dome, was inaugurated in 2018 with 100,000 seats, in Abuja, Nigeria.[19]

America

File:DC Building Los Angeles.jpg
The Dream Center Headquarters in Los Angeles
File:Auto de Páscoa - IgrejaDaCidade (crop).jpg
Show on the life of Jesus at City Church, affiliated with the Brazilian Baptist Convention, in São José dos Campos

In 2010, the Hartford Institute's database listed more than 1,300 megachurches in the United States. About 50 churches on the list had average attendance exceeding 10,000, and one had 47,000.[20] On one weekend in November 2015, around one in ten Protestant churchgoers in the U.S.—about 5 million people—attended service in a megachurch.[21] Some 3,000 individual Catholic Church parishes have 2,000 or more attendants for an average Sunday Mass, but they are not called megachurches as that is a Protestant term.[7]

In the United States, the phenomenon has more than quadrupled in the two decades to 2017.[22]

Asia

File:Messiah Cathedral in Night.jpg
Messiah Cathedral, affiliated with the Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church

In 2007, five of the ten largest Protestant churches were in South Korea.[23] In 2007, the largest megachurch in the world by attendance was South Korea's Yoido Full Gospel Church, an Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) church, with more than 830,000 members.[23][24]

Graha Bethany Nginden is a megachurch which is one of the largest churches in Surabaya, Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The Church is affiliated with Bethany Indonesian Church.

Australia

Australian scholar Sam Hey wrote in 2011 that "almost all megachurch developments are Pentecostal, or charismatic and neo-Pentecostal offshoots".[25]

One of the first megachurches in Australia was the Christian Outreach Centre (COC),[25] now the International Network of Churches.[26][27]

Hillsong Church was founded in 1983 in Sydney, New South Wales, out of two Christian Life Centre churches and has since planted churches all around Australia and the world.[28] Another significant Australian international Pentecostal network is the C3 Global Network, founded in 1980.[27]

Criticism

In 2005, Baptist Pastor Al Sharpton criticized megachurches for focusing on "bedroom morals", statements against same-sex marriage and abortion, by ignoring issues of social justice, such as the immorality of war and the erosionTemplate:Clarification needed of affirmative action.[29] Some megachurches, such as C3, have similarly been criticized for presenting the church as inclusive while hiding the fact that they are strongly against gay marriage and do not allow sexually active gay members to fully participate in the church.[30][31]

A study by the Hartford Institute published in 2020 found that 60 percent of American megachurches were members of a Christian denomination.[32] In 2018, American professor Scot McKnight of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary criticized nondenominational megachurches for the weak external accountability relationship of their leaders, by not being members of a Christian denomination, further exposing them to abuse of power.[33]

Some megachurches and their pastors have been accused by critics of promoting prosperity theology, where the poor and vulnerable are encouraged to donate their money to the church rather than saving it, in the hopes that God will bless them with wealth.[34][35][36] This in turn increases the wealth of the pastors, with some revealed to wear designer clothing during sermons and own luxury vehicles.[37][38][39]

In popular culture

See also

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Kurian, George Thomas; Lamport, Mark A.; Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, p. 1471
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Turner, Bryan S.; The New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion, John Wiley & Sons, 2010, p. 251.
  7. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Template:OED
  9. ↑ Wilford, Justin G.; Sacred Subdivisions: The Postsuburban Transformation of American Evangelicalism, NYU Press, 2012, p. 78.
  10. ↑ Maria Baer "US Megachurches Are Getting Bigger and Thinking Smaller" christianitytoday.com, 19 November 2020
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Stanley D. Brunn, The Changing World Religion Map: Sacred Places, Identities, Practices and Politics, Springer, USA, 2015, p. 1683
  14. ↑ Multisite 2016: What’s New and What’s Next? outreachmagazine.com, Jim Tomberlin, 31 December 2015
  15. ↑ Warren Bird, World Megachurches, exponential.org, accessed February 5, 2025
  16. ↑ Hartford Institute, Database of Megachurches in the U.S., hirr.hartfordinternational.edu, USA, accessed February 5, 2025
  17. ↑ Hartford Institute, Megachurches of Canada Template:Webarchive, hartfordinstitute.org, USA, accessed February 5, 2025
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Taylor Berglund (2018) World's Largest Church Auditorium Dedicated in Nigeria, charismanews.com
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ a b Template:Cite thesis
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Sam Hey, Megachurches: Origins, Ministry, and Prospects, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2013, p. 66-67, 265-266
  29. ↑ Associated Press, Megachurches have wrong focus, black leaders say, chron.com, July 2, 2006.
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Bird, Warren; Thumma, Scott; Megachurch 2020 : The Changing Reality in America’s Largest Churches Template:Webarchive, hirr.hartsem.edu, 2020.
  33. ↑ Wellman, James Jr.; Corcoran, Katie; Stockly, Kate; Ficquet, Éloi; High on God: How Megachurches Won the Heart of America, Oxford University Press, 2020, p. 212
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Bibliography

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Template:Evangelical Protestantism in the United States Template:Authority control

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