Outreach magazine in collaboration with Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research has published their annual list of the top 100 largest churches in America.
Over 8,000 churches were invited to submit their weekend attendance averages from February and March 2009 (excluding Easter). Children and adults were counted. Physical campuses were counted. Internet campuses were not counted.
It is interesting to look at how the attendance of the top 16 largest U.S. churches has changed since 2006. Some change quickly. Some change gradually. And others fluctuate.
For the full list and analysis of Outreach’s 100 largest churches, you can buy a PDF or print copy at OutreachMagazine.com.
Top 16 Largest Churches in America for 2009
13,000+ attendance
- Lakewood Church (Houston, TX) :: Joel Osteen
43,500 (#1) for 2009
43,500 (#1) for 2008
47,000 (#1) for 2007
45,000 (#1) for 2006 - LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) :: Craig Groeschel
26,776 (#2) for 2009
20,823 (#5) for 2008
19,907 (#5) for 2007
16,071 (#13) for 2006 - Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL) :: Bill Hybels
23,400 (#3) for 2009
22,500 (#4) for 2008
23,500 (#2) for 2007
21,500 (#5) for 2006 - North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA) :: Andy Stanley
23,377 (#4) for 2009
22,557 (#3) for 2008
17,700 (#7) for 2007
16,700 (#12) for 2006 - Second Baptist Church (Houston, TX) :: Ed Young Sr.
22,723 (#5) for 2009
23,659 (#2) for 2008
23,198 (#3) for 2007
22,266 (#3) for 2006 - Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, CA) :: Rick Warren
22,418 (#6) for 2009
19,414 (#8) for 2008
22,000 (#4) for 2007
20,595 (#6) for 2006 - Fellowship Church (Grapevine, TX) :: Ed Young Jr.
18,355 (#7) for 2009
19,913 (#7) for 2008
13,000 (#16) for 2007
18,124 (#9) for 2006 - Southeast Christian Church (Louisville, KY) :: Dave Stone
17,261 (#8) for 2009
16,264 (#12) for 2008
18,013 (#6) for 2007
18,520 (#7) for 2006 - Woodlands Church (Woodlands, TX) :: Kerry Shook
17,142 (#9) for 2009
16,380 (#11) for 2008
15,600 (#12) for 2007
14,120 (#18) for 2006 - Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) :: Bob Coy
15,921 (#10) for 2009
18,000 (#9) for 2008
17,000 (#9) for 2007
18,300 (#8) for 2006 - Central Christian Church (Las Vegas, NV) :: Jud Wilhite
15,081 (#11) for 2009
13,010 (#22) for 2008
12,000 (#22) for 2007
8,994 (#43) for 2006 - First Baptist Church (Hammond, IN) :: Jack Schaap
15,059 (#12) for 2009
13,678 (#19) for 2008
12,000 (#20) for 2007
11,300 (#26) for 2006 - Prestonwood Baptist Church (Plano, TX) :: Jack Graham
14,975 (#13) for 2009
14,450 (#17) for 2008
14,000 (#14) for 2007
14,871 (#17) for 2006 - Thomas Road Baptist Church (Lynchburg, VA) :: Jonathan Falwell
13,100 (#14) for 2009
13,000 (#23) for 2008
17,445 (#8) for 2007
7,626 (#71) for 2006 - Calvary Chapel (Albuquerque, NM) :: Skip Heitzig
13,000 (#15) for 2009
13,500 (#20) for 2008
12,000 (#19) for 2007
12,000 (#24) for 2006 - New Birth Missionary Baptist (Decatur, GA) :: Eddie Long
13,000 (#16) for 2009
15,000 (#14) for 2008
15,000 (#13) for 2007
22,000 (#4) for 2006
Surprisingly, quite a few large churches are not on the list. Some churches did not respond to the study for various reasons that include:
- did not want to reveal attendance data
- did not have time
- do not like church ranking lists
Churches listed on a previous list with 13,000+ attendance but unlisted on the 2009 list are as follows:
- Last listed in 2008
20,000 = West Angeles Church of God in Christ (Los Angeles, CA)
17,000 = The Potter’s House (Dallas, TX)
16,000 = Hopewell Missionary Baptist (Norcross, GA)
13,500 = New Light Christian Center (Houston, TX) - Last listed in 2007
16,000 = First Assembly of God (Phoenix, AZ) - Last listed in 2006
23,900 = Without Walls International Church (Tampa, FL)
13,000 = Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church (New Orleans, LA)
Large churches typically have implemented great systems to manage themselves more efficiently. If you want to learn church methodology, the top 100 largest churches are a good starting point.
I read the article this morning on Church Relevance. Curious about the attendance of the 100th largest church in the survey.
Thanks
Charles
Here is a list of the last churches (#100) on the largest church lists from the last 4 years:
5,634 = Ada Bible Church (Grand Rapids, MI) in 2009
7,000 = The Chapel (Akron, OH) (actually #103) in 2008
6,376 = Shadow Mountain Community Church (El Cajon, CA) in 2007
6,500 = First Baptist Church (Woodstock, GA) in 2006
Soooooo thankful to see our church on the list. Pastor Troy and our team at Flamingo Rd Church, have worked so hard, running after it, without losing our joy. Numbers aren’t everything, but I’m gonna receive this number, man!! And give God BIG thanks for it.
How can you be “thankful to see” your church on the list? Is there a prize for being on the list? Does God love you more?
I’d like to see a list of churches whose members are most like Christ. I’d like to see a list of churches whose members share their faith and disciple other Christians. Or a list of churches that give the most money away to serve and love outsiders.
IDK
I agree that the most important thing is outreach, discipling Christ followers, and just showing God’s love to all people. I don’t think, however, that attacking someone is the answer. We’re all on the same team regardless of location, size, building, or denomination. We need to work together and give each other a hand up, not push each other down. Churches shouldn’t compete, they should complete.
“Churches shouldn’t compete, they should complete.”
I like that, seriously!
What’s more important… Having the largest church, or the most powerful church?
JP put it right: I’d like to see a list of churches whose members are most like Christ. I’d like to see a list of churches whose members share their faith and disciple other Christians. Or a list of churches that give the most money away to serve and love outsiders.
Seems like an assumption is being made that those in the largest church category are not “Christlike”? I don’t know how that assumption can be made. I’m not much into rankings, but it does cause me to ponder what is causing the growth. I think we all can agree that the most important thing is to bring others to Christ and then to disciple them to become mature followers. We need to be careful making any judgment on a given church whether large or small. Let’s celebrate what God is doing in each place of worship.
thanks Joni…couldn’t have said it better myself.
there is just one church.
We’re just talking about statistics here…it’s an academic exercise and just another tool to view Church growth in the US. Some people like big congregations and others small - I’m somewhere in the middle.
As for the data - I enjoy data and always have. It’s interesting and often very useful and we need to use every tool available in our war with Satan…
What does it say that the #1 church on the list is one that preaches half a gospel (if it preaches a gospel at all)? I keep thinking of that verse from 2 Timothy…
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
The size of the church has absolutely NOTHING to do with the health of a church; the two are not causal! Joel Osteen is definitely someone who enjoys satisfying the “itching ears” of people.
Keep in mind these are just statistics.
As Bryan said, it is an academic exercise. Obviously, there are spiritual metrics that matter much more, but I have yet to find anyone who can competently and thoroughly measure those and rank them.
Plus, I think it is one thing to rank “trivial” metrics like size, growth, and church planting, but it seems much more dangerous to attempt to judge and rank churches by spiritual fruit.
As a word of caution, do not let a simple list of church size cause you to sin by falling into unrighteous anger, judgment, gossip, complaining, backbiting, or whatever. I can’t judge what your heart attitude is, but you can, so be mindful of it.
I realize these are pure numbers for the sake of knowledge, but I think there’s another assumption at play here; the assumption that large means “blessed” or “doing it right”. Many are fooled by numbers when there are MUCH more important factors when considering church health.
That being said, I’m glad Stetzer and team compiled this information. Very useful.
Kent,
It is not the size of the church that bothers me. I can think of several large churches which have solid teaching. What bothers me is that someone sees a church like Osteen’s and think it must be good because so many people go there. Yet it only takes an ‘ounce of discernment’ to see that they’re preaching ‘half’ a gospel at best (which is really not a gospel at all).
I’m not trying to judge or rank anyone according to spiritual fruit; nor am I complaining or backbiting. I am simply using discernment to show the follow of this kind of numbers game.
As far as ’spiritual metrics’ how about whether or not a church faithfully preaches the gospel? Last time I checked, the Bible encourages us to preach the gospel and leave the growth and results to him. The question is who builds the church? And the answer is that Jesus said HE would build his church. We are simply his tools in the process.
silly list.. but heres something for thought what is the fruit how are the people of this body doing what are thy doing the bible says, we will KNOW them by there FRUIT
and out of love i hope we bring people under Gods word Know matter who we are his word is easy if we faith in it
its a must we bring up serventleaders
not come to my church and get fat and not do anything. “be doers not hearers only”
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[...] The fastest growing church in the U.S. right now is the one whose worship leader won American Idol. But I guess that was a no-brainer. Outreach magazine once again has issued their Top 100 church list, and leaks some of the details in this subscription teaser. But you’ll learn more about some of the higher ranked congregations from this post at the blog, Church Relevance. [...]
What are the top 100 churches in the WORLD? I’ve looked everywhere - do you have a list or know of one?
Sorry, let me clarify my previous comment: I’m looking for a list of the top LARGEST churches in the world according to congregation size. Thank you.
Unless you have attend a large Mega church don’t pre judge. I was raised with the idea that Mega churches were not preaching the gospel. Last June we were in Las Vegas with our 2 older daughters and the one who want to attend a church with the modern music, we found Central Christian and went to their Henderson campus. There witness is right on, Jud preaching is right on and I could find nothing to other then the modern music to offended my Southern Baptist background. In fact we go on the internet and listen to his sermon. They reach people for Christ
@elena
Unfortunately, I have no accurate data on global church sizes.
Kent, thanks for responding. I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find the information. Oh well.
Why all of the sudden and I unable to view all 100 churches. It only shows the top 16?
Thanks,
Alan
[...] evidences of “seeker-sensitive” churches. These churches would appear be to be alive, especially considering their attendance records, but what are these churches [...]
Well, think what you may about “megachurches” but I can safely say that the one I attend, Eagle Brook Church in Minnesota, which is set to become the #2 largest, is preaching the real deal when it comes to scriptures. Not to mention reaching out to the unchurched and lost. Over 250 people came to christ just over the Christmas season this year alone. Countless people have gotten their lives on track with a relationship with Jesus through this ministry so go ahead and judge, your turn is coming soon.
Dear Belove in Christ,
Please pray for India again 14 pastors were killed yesterday at Raikha. PastorRK Digal was burnt to death along with his motor bike.
Dear Church,
Greetings to you in the most precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am Rev. J. Prabhudas from India. I have been doing the ministry of the Lord in South part of India along with my 2 children and 75 other pastors. our vision is
11. Spreading the word of God
2. Church planting
3. Helping the local pastors in their ministry
4. Bible school ministry to train up young leaders
5. Encouraging the Leaders and pastors
6. supporting to orphan children, HIV children, HIV and AIDS patients, orphan old age people
@Pastor J. Prabhudas
India is in my prayers.
Interesting to note that a 1/3 of the churches in the top 15 are in Texas. Hence, the saying “everything is bigger and better in Texas.”