12 January, 2025

2018 Fast Facts about Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches

Features

by | 24 April, 2019 | 0 comments

These statistics from 2018 are gleaned from megachurch and emerging megachurch data collected by Kent Fillinger. Be sure to read Fillinger’s article, 2018 Special Church Report, Part 1: Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches,” and look at the accompanying tables, “The 2018 Charts: Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches”.

Compiled by Kent Fillinger

_ _ _

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE

Megachurches: 5,363

Emerging Megachurches: 1,332

Combined average weekly attendance (125 churches): 388,243

_ _ _

GROWTH RATES

Megachurches: 6.6% (up from 5.7% in 2017); overall, 74% of the megachurches grew (up from 71% in 2017)

Emerging Megachurches: 4.1% (unchanged from 2017); overall, 71% of emerging megachurches grew (up from 57% in 2017)

_ _ _

FASTEST-GROWING MEGACHURCHES

The Crossing, Quincy, IL: 43%

Pantano Christian Church, Tucson, AZ: 26%

Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, MD: 22.5%

_ _ _

FASTEST-GROWING EMERGING MEGACHURCHES

Hope City Church, Joplin, MO: 40.4%

Crossroads Christian Church, Joliet, IL: 39.5%

Newberg Christian Church, Newberg, OR: 31.5%

_ _ _

BAPTISMS

Megachurches baptized 21,292 people (an average of 402 baptisms per megachurch)

Emerging megachurches baptized 5,522 people (an average of 79 per church)

_ _ _

BAPTISM RATIOS

Number of baptisms per 100 people in average attendance:

Megachurches:  6.7

Emerging megachurches: 5.8

_ _ _

HIGHEST BAPTISM RATIOS—MEGACHURCHES

Compass Christian Church, Chandler, AZ: 13.5

Pantano Christian Church, Tucson, AZ: 12.4

Christ’s Church of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ: 11.6

(Note: Same three churches and same order as the previous year—the first time this has happened)

_ _ _

HIGHEST BAPTISM RATIO—EMERGING MEGACHURCHES

Eastside Christian Church, Jeffersonville, IN: 15.7

Third City Christian Church, Grand Island, NE: 13.6

Calvary Christian Church, Bellevue, NE: 11.3

_ _ _

STATES WITH THE MOST MEGACHURCHES

Indiana—8

California—7

Arizona & Illinois—5 each

_ _ _

STATES WITH THE MOST EMERGING MEGACHURCHES

Illinois—10

Ohio—8

Indiana & Missouri—6 each

_ _ _

OLDEST AND YOUNGEST CHURCHES REPORTING—YEAR STARTED

Oldest Megachurch: Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, MD—1824

Youngest Megachurch: New City Church, Phoenix, AZ—2011

Oldest Emerging Megachurch: Greenford (OH) Christian Church—1832

Youngest Emerging Megachurch: Hope City Church, Joplin, MO—2014

_ _ _

GIVING

Average weekly per-person giving (based on general fund only):

Megachurches: $31.94 (down from $32.28 in 2017)

Emerging Megachurches: $33.82 (up from $30.84 in 2017)

_ _ _

OUTREACH GIVING

Percentage of total budget spent on ministry “outside the walls”:

Megachurches: 12.5%

Emerging Megachurches: 13.6%

_ _ _

BUDGETED FOR STAFFS

Percentage of total budget invested on ministry staff:

Megachurches: 49%

Emerging Megachurches: 49.6%

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