The Largest Churches in the US

Out of curiosity, I was wondering who were the biggest churches in the US, where were they located and what’s their average weekly attendance. This is just a data list of the largest churches in the US without any opinions. It’s one place for anyone searching for the top 9 biggest US churches.

Here’s the 9 largest churches in the US, by congregation

1. Gateway Church

Situated in Southlake, Texas, near Fort Worth, Gateway Church is a non-denominational, charismatic Christian megachurch with multiple locations. As of 2022, it reports a weekly attendance of approximately 100,000, establishing itself as one of the largest churches in the United States. Senior Pastor Robert Morris is the founder and leader of the church.

Gateway church by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 100,000
2. Locations: 10 locations plus online services
3. Denomination: Non-denominational
4. HQ: Southlake, Texas
5. Founded: 1999
6. Lead pastor: Robert Morris
7. Website: https://gatewaypeople.com/

2. Life.Church

Life.Church, previously recognised as LifeChurch.tv, Life Covenant Church, and Life Church, is an evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple sites headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA. Affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church, it was founded and is led by Craig Groeschel as the senior pastor. In 2018, the weekly attendance reached 85,000 people. Notably, Life.Church is renowned for its YouVersion ministry, responsible for publishing the Bible App.

Life.Church church by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 85,000
2. Locations: 42 locations + online services
3. Denomination: Evangelical Covenant Church
4. HQ: Edmond, Oklohoma
5. Founded: 1996
6. Lead pastor: Craig Groeschel
7. Website: https://www.life.church/

3. Church of the Highlands

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, the Church of the Highlands is a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple sites. As of 2023, it stands as the largest congregation in Alabama, drawing an average of 60,000 attendees each week. Chris Hodges serves as the senior pastor of the church.

Church of the Highlands by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 60,000
2. Locations: 20 locations + online services
3. Denomination: Non-denominational
4. HQ: Birmingham, Alabama
5. Founded: 2001
6. Lead pastor: Chris Hodges
7. Website: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/

4. North Point Community Church

Situated in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, North Point Community Church is a non-denominational, evangelical megachurch. With a congregation of 23,000 individuals spread across eight locations in the north metro Atlanta area, the church is led by its senior pastor, Andy Stanley, who also serves as the lead pastor overseeing the North Point Community Church staff.

North Point Community Church by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 50,000
2. Locations: 8 locations in Atlanta + 150 partner churches
3. Denomination: Non-denominational
4. HQ: Alpharetta, Georgia
5. Founded: 1995
6. Lead pastor: Andy Stanley
7. Website: https://northpoint.org/

5. Lakewood Church

Given that Lakewood church has just the one location, it really is the biggest church in the list compared to the other churches with 10+ locations.

Established on Mother’s Day, May 10, 1959, under the name “Lakewood Baptist Church,” Lakewood Church was founded by John Osteen and his second wife, Dolores (Dodie), initially in a tent. The church later relocated to an abandoned feed store in northeast Houston. Although John had a background as a Southern Baptist minister, his encounter with baptism in the Holy Spirit led him to establish Lakewood as a congregation for charismatic Baptists.

Lakewood Church by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 45,000
2. Locations: Just the one location
3. Denomination: Non-denominational
4. HQ: Houston, Texas
5. Founded: 1959
6. Lead pastor: Joel Osteen
7. Website: https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/

6. Eagle Brook Church

Based in Centerville, Minnesota, Eagle Brook Church is a multi-site megachurch with Baptist Evangelical affiliations within the Converge network. As of 2023, the church has a weekly attendance of 20,923 people. Jason Strand serves as the senior pastor.

Eagle Brook Church by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 43,871
2. Locations: 11 locations plus online services
3. Denomination: Converge
4. HQ: Lino Lakes, Minnesota
5. Founded: 1948
6. Lead pastor: Jason Strand
7. Website: https://www.eaglebrookchurch.com/

7. Christ’s Church of the Valley

Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple sites situated in Metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. The church operates various campuses across the state, and its weekend attendance reached 32,000.

Christ’s Church of the Valley by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 35,000
2. Locations: 15 locations plus online services
3. Denomination: Non-denominational
4. HQ: Peoria, Arizona
5. Founded: 1982
6. Lead pastor: Ashley Wooldridge
7. Website: https://ccv.church/

8. Crossroads Church

Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Crossroads is a megachurch with multiple sites that embraces an interdenominational approach. In 2017, it earned the distinction of being the fourth-largest and fastest-growing church in America, boasting an average weekend attendance exceeding 34,000. With nine physical locations in Ohio and Kentucky, Crossroads also reaches a global audience through its online streaming platform, drawing in over 6,000 weekly viewers for its services.

Crossroads Church by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 35,000
2. Locations: 13 locations plus online services
3. Denomination: Interdenominational
4. HQ: Cincinnati, Ohio
5. Founded: 1996
6. Lead pastor: Brian Tome
7. Website: https://www.crossroads.net/

9. Christian Cultural Center

Situated in the Starrett City neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York City, the Christian Cultural Center (CCC) is a non-denominational Christian megachurch, featuring a satellite campus in Smithtown on Long Island. Recognised as the largest Evangelical church in New York City, CCC holds a significant presence in the region.

Christian Cultural Center by the numbers

1. Weekly attendance: 32,000
2. Locations: 2 locations
3. Denomination: Non-denominational
4. HQ: New York, NY
5. Founded: 1978
6. Lead pastor: A. R. Bernard
7. Website: http://cccinfo.org/

Here’s a table of the largest churches in the US by weekly attendance

Okay, weekly attendance is great, and those are some impressive numbers, especially Lakewood. With just the one location, it is easily the largest church in the the US.

However, if we look at capacity; how big are the biggest church auditoriums in the world, things get a little crazier. The US is dwarfed by Nigeria. If you look at the top 10 largest church auditoriums by capacity, the US does not even register.

Largest churches in the world by auditorium capacity

Here are the largest churches in the US by auditorium capacity

The largest US church auditorium capacity is 16,000 compared to the largest in the world at 120,000.

Posted by Conrad Abraham

Hey there. I’m Conrad from Atlanta, Ga. I’ve a passion for worship, In fact, I’ve been worshiping before it was official – or before I accepted Jesus as the one true God and as my saviour.

All PostsWebsite