There are at least 1,200 Protestant churches with more than 2,000 weekly worship attendants across the United States, a study from an American seminary has discovered. The figure was nearly double the number of megachurches previously thought. "We hope and pray that we can help correct misperceptions and better network these churches with each other," said Dave Travis of Leadership Network, a partner in the project.
The megachurches represent three tenths of one per cent of all congregations. They account for more than four million weekly attendees, however, and as many as 8 to 12 million members.
Megachurches are found in 45 states, with Texas, California, Florida and Georgia leading the pack. Houston and Dallas alone account for 56 mega churches or 4.5 per cent of the total.
The greatest numbers of megachurches are nondenominational or Southern Baptist, followed by the Assemblies of God, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Methodist Church.
The study will be repeated at least every two years in hopes of shedding new light on the megachurch phenomenon. "Our preliminary research indicates there could very well be another 200 to 400 megachurches in addition to these," said Warren Bird, Leadership Network director. – AM
