A megachurch is a church having 2,000[1] or more[2] in average weekend attendance.[3] The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000.[4] While 3,000 individual Catholic parishes (churches) have 2,000 or more attendants for an average Sunday Mass, these churches are not seen as part of the megachurch movement.[5]
Globally, these large congregations are a significant development in Protestant Christianity. While generally associated with the United States, the phenomenon has spread worldwide. In 2007, five of the ten largest Protestant churches were in South Korea.[6] The current largest megachurch in the world is South Korea's Yoido Full Gospel Church, with more than 830,000 members as of 2007.[6]
Most megachurches tend to be evangelical or Baptist, and are often semi-independent from the major Christian denominations.
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The origins of the megachurch movement, with a large number of local congregants who return on a weekly basis can be traced to the 1950s.[7] There were large churches earlier in history, but they were considerably rarer. Examples include Charles Spurgeon's Baptist Metropolitan Tabernacle in London which attracted 5,000 weekly for years in the late 19th century, and religious broadcaster Aimee Semple McPherson's Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, which was similarly large.[8] The advent of television in the 1950s, and the Internet in the 1990s and 2000s have been seen as a motivator for mega churches as megachurch services are often broadcast.
The Hartford Institute places the total number of mega-churches in the U.S. at over twelve hundred. Of these, some twenty-six percent are Baptist or Southern Baptist, thirty-four percent are nondenominational, and the rest are an assortment of Assemblies of God, United Methodist, Calvary Chapel, and other Christian denominations. Seventy five percent are located in the Bible belt. Almost all of them are situated in a suburb of a metropolitan area. Most attenders are baby-boomers from the middle class with at least a college education, and most of them are disillusioned defectors from other churches. [9]Folks are drawn to these massive churches by some variant of the message, “We do church better here.” In essence, this means “We put on a better worship performance.” The mega-church offers worship services that are more contemporary, messages that are more interesting, and opportunities for involvement that are more varied in response to demand from a clientele accustomed to a variety of entertainment options.
Megachurches tend to have a powerful charismatic leader. They tend to be centralized, concentrating authority at the top. The founders’ tenures average over fifteen years and there is great dependence on their personalities. These leaders preside over large staffs of up to 250 full-time employees. The pastor of one mega-church had the following to say about the organizational structure of these mammoth churches, “These are not just churches; they are also corporations.” The pastors of many of these huge churches consider themselves CEOs. [10]
Megachurch services tend to be highly choreographed and music features prominently in services. "Given the congregation’s size, this service cannot be left to ‘the flow of the spirit,’ especially if there are multiple services on a Sunday morning …As a mega-church grows, worship becomes more professional and polished, but also more planned and structured.” [11]
A common criticism of megachurches is that they draw members away from other churches.[12] This has led to use of the derisive term, "big box churches". The majority of North American church-goers attend small churches of fewer than 200 members.[13]
Critics of megachurches claim that such churches are more concerned with entertainment than religion.[14] Al Sharpton has claimed that such churches focus on personal morality issues while ignoring social justice.[15]
Critics have also raised issues with the application of secular business models,[16] e.g., from Wal-Mart; a seeker-friendly approach, intensive market research, heavy reliance upon opinion polls, polished advertising targeted at affluent young professionals, unconventional worship styles and Eastern influences.
Some megachurches, such as the Christian Open Door, are sometimes criticized by former members and anti-cult associations for an alleged use of cultic practices.[17] A number of pastors of megachurch have also faced allegations of sex- and drug-related crimes. These include but are not limited to Ted Haggard, who is accused of meth use, paying to have sex with a male prostitute, and having sex with a male member of his congregation,[18][19] and Eddie Long, who is accused of luring two male teenagers into attending his church and forcing sex upon them.[20][21] Also, Earl Paulk was accused of child molestation and a number of affairs,[22] including committing an adultery with his wife's sister and fathering a child by her.[23]
Another concern with megachurches is their tax-exempt status. These churches generate millions of dollars and are not subject to the same disclosures that charities are on tax-exempt revenues. This has received attention from the US Senate.[24] Megachurches have also been investigated for illegal contributions to the political campaigns of Republican candidates[25][26] and one has been accused of embezzlement.[27]