Podcast Episode #019
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For the past few years, I’ve shared a list here at ThomRainer.com of the largest churches in the SBC (2010, 2011, 2012). It’s a perennial top post because, no matter your opinion of megachurches, there is a certain fascination that surrounds the megachurch phenomenon. While megachurches are not new, they are more prominent than ever. And the big ones have gotten even larger.
Jonathan and I review the top ten largest churches in the SBC. We also discuss this growing fascination with megachurches and what they mean for smaller churches that might sit in their shadows. At the end of the show, we look back to 1992 and the top 10 churches and see that while the sizes might have changed, many of the names have not.
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Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free autographed copy of I Am a Church Member.
Thom,
Thanks for what you do. I have been at FBCK for 15 years. We love our people and they love us. The church has grown from 45 to apx. 200. FBCK is in Kennedale,Texas, (near Arlington, Fort Worth, and Dallas) so we are very close to many churches larger than 1000. Our church is located in the back part of town. You have to drive past junk yards to get to it. I too struggle with discouragement in leading a small church. I can’t tell you how many times I have had people tell me that they love the people, felt welcome when they visited, and enjoy the sermons;However, have chosen a larger mega church down the road because of the quality of programs for their children. Sometimes I just feel like I am swimming up stream. We want to grow the children’s department, but it is hard when people bring children and there are only a few in the classes for them to connect with. We are caught in the middle. The fact is, if I wasn’t called to be the pastor of FBCK, I believe I too would choose a church based on quality programs for my children, and I have a 14 and 11 year old. But I just keep plugging away and doing the best I can. I keep praying that god would give us a solution. The city is starting to clean up its appearance and build a few more neighborhoods, so I am praying that we can get some folks from the growth. But it still leaves us in a dilemma of competing with the mega churches down the road.
Bryan –
I don’t know you, but you are one of my heroes of the faith. Our Lord is honored by people like you. You persevere in the midst of challenges. You love unconditionally in the midst of discouragement. You may not be a megachurch pastor, but you are mega (as in great) pastor in my eyes.
In Arkansas we don’t have very many churches that have more than 1000 on Sunday. In fact most of our churches run less than 100. But we have a lot of them – many are doing very well, sharing the Gospel, and disciplining those. But I am like Bryan from Texas, it is hard to “compete” and know that is a dirty word in Christian circles — but is had to compete with 6 Flags over Jesus. People today have the consumer mentality that centers around “my needs” — That is our world and we need to learn how to work inside this and be faithful to our calling to go into ALL THE WORLD.
I guess I go to a mega church in the Midwest. It didn’t start out as one. It used to meet in the back of an auto parts store. Sometimes God grows little ministries into something big for His purposes.
I’m listening to the podcast now, but I would like to know if there is a way to demographically divide these churched by population in a 5 and 10 mile radius and then compare membership by the population. I suspect that, demographically, some of the top ten churches aren’t as large as some of the 1,000 member churches based on their population pool. Just guessing….
Phillip Swindall
Gadsden, Alabama
Phillip –
You can do that yourself with U.S. Census data. Go to census.gov. It has a wealth of data.
Blessings.
I have found the results for SBC largest churches 2012, 2013, 2014. Where can I find 2010 and 2011?
Thank you – Mark