Reasons for Mega-Churches

Just as the industrial revolution aided in the spread of religion population growth, the advancements in recent centuries have also compounded that trend.  “Today, “Mega-Churches” have up to 15,000 members and specialized facilities are spread around campuses of up to 1,000 acres.”   Many factors to why or even how this change occurred can be observed.  The first of which can be attributed to the number of religions that are presently followed.  Covering all countries in the world it is estimated that there are some 4,300 faith groups.  “In addition to Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, there are Muslim mosques, Hindu, Shinto and Buddhist temples and undefined New Age religious groups that meet in homes.”   Currently it is estimated that the world population is 6.5 billion, 300 million who live in the United States.  In 2002, 88% of people in the United States claimed they were affiliated with some type of religion.  The map below shows the major religion per state.

If we only look at the Catholic religion, which is the major religion in most all states, has an estimated 23,000 churches across the United States where its 53 million parishioners worship.  If evenly spread for each of the 50 states that would be 460 Catholic churches per state with an average of 2,400 adherents per church.  Taking into account the remaining religions, we can deduct that the population of religious adherents could be a factor in the rise of “Mega-Churches”.

This rise can also been due to the willingness of worshippers to drive a distance to a place they feel comfortable.  The shear number of potential congregants has multiplied exponentially compared to the walking distance community central church.  Choice and competition are now helping make decisions on where to worship.  While marketing and tailored programs to attract congregants are now the tools of the modern religion.

Worship has also changed; Religion has modernized its approach to service.  Service now is known to include stage lighting, video screens, alternative services and expanded services.  Services are now held on almost any day of the week or at least some type of event sponsored by the religious institution.

The paradigm for the liturgy is once again the theatrical event, in which the priest and ministers are the actors.

The church building is now used for more reasons than worship.  “Besides its primary role of providing a suitable place for the celebration of the liturgical rites, the church building also offers a place to which individuals may come to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and in which groups of the faithful may gather for a rich variety of devotions expressive of the faith life of a give culture, region, or ethnic community.”   The program of a typical religious building now consists of a bookstore, child care center, preschool, computer labs, gymnasium and youth ministries, no longer just a space to worship, a table and a chair.

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