Every year I provide an update on churches in my denomination that have an average worship attendance of 1,000 or more. I understand that almost one-half of my readers are not in the Southern Baptist Convention, so I appreciate you allowing me occasionally to share information about our family.
Allow me to provide a few caveats to accompany this list. It seems like these issues arise whenever I provide this report.
- The numbers are self-reported by the churches. We have not verified them.
- The churches on this list have met the requirements to be a part of the denomination.
- We are not making qualitative comments about larger churches with this list. We are simply providing information.
- If you think a church should be on the list and it is not, the church probably did not report the data. We know that at least 37 churches of sufficient size to be on this list did not report.
- These churches represent the top one percent in attendance in the denomination. Conversely 99% of the churches are not on the list.
RANK | CHURCH NAME | CITY | STATE | WEEKLY WORSHIP ATTENDANCE |
1 | NewSpring Community Church | Anderson | SC | 27,158 |
2 | Second Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 26,022 |
3 | Saddleback Valley Community Church | Lake Forest | CA | 22,055 |
4 | Woodlands Church | The Woodlands | TX | 18,524 |
5 | Prestonwood Baptist Church | Plano | TX | 15,289 |
6 | Thomas Road Baptist Church | Lynchburg | VA | 13,500 |
7 | Potential Church | Fort Lauderdale | FL | 12,382 |
8 | Elevation Church | Matthews | NC | 11,708 |
9 | Sagebrush Community Church | Albuquerque | NM | 10,105 |
10 | The Village Church | Flower Mound | TX | 10,030 |
11 | Lake Pointe Church | Rockwall | TX | 9,250 |
12 | Pinelake Church | Brandon | MS | 9,091 |
13 | Higher Dimension Church | Houston | TX | 9,000 |
13 | The Fountain of Praise | Houston | TX | 9,000 |
15 | Cross Church | Springdale | AR | 8,562 |
16 | Christ Fellowship Baptist Church | Palmetto Bay | FL | 8,197 |
17 | Shepherd of the Hills | Porter Ranch | CA | 8,002 |
18 | Shadow Mountain Community Church | El Cajon | CA | 7,667 |
19 | Bay Area Fellowship | Corpus Christi | TX | 7,600 |
20 | Voices of Faith Ministries | Stone Mountain | GA | 6,900 |
21 | Long Hollow Baptist Church | Hendersonville | TN | 6,867 |
22 | Sunrise Church | Rialto | CA | 6,830 |
23 | Elizabeth Baptist Church | Atlanta | GA | 6,800 |
24 | Church by the Glades | Coral Springs | FL | 6,712 |
25 | Bellevue Baptist Church | Cordova | TN | 6,671 |
26 | The Summit Church-Homestead Heights | Durham | NC | 6,518 |
27 | The Austin Stone Community Church | Austin | TX | 6,336 |
28 | First Baptist of Woodstock | Woodstock | GA | 6,318 |
29 | Idlewild Baptist Church | Lutz | FL | 6,150 |
30 | First Baptist Church of Orlando | Orlando | FL | 5,690 |
31 | Houston’s First Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 5,607 |
32 | Biltmore Baptist Church | Arden | NC | 5,558 |
33 | Brentwood Baptist Church | Brentwood | TN | 5,510 |
34 | Fallbrook Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 5,500 |
34 | Sandals Church | Riverside | CA | 5,500 |
36 | Newspring Church | Wichita | KS | 5,481 |
37 | Champion Forest Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 5,456 |
38 | Green Acres Baptist Church | Tyler | TX | 5,056 |
39 | Grace Church | Greenville | SC | 5,000 |
40 | Hillvue Heights Baptist Church | Bowling Green | KY | 4,961 |
41 | First Baptist of Atlanta | Atlanta | GA | 4,956 |
42 | Celebration Church | Metairie | LA | 4,768 |
43 | Franklin Avenue Baptist Church | New Orleans | LA | 4,760 |
44 | The Crossing Church | Tampa | FL | 4,613 |
45 | First Baptist Church of Jacksonville | Jacksonville | FL | 4,500 |
46 | Sharon Baptist Church | Philadelphia | PA | 4,494 |
47 | West Ridge Church | Dallas | GA | 4,447 |
48 | New Faith Baptist Church International | Matteson | IL | 4,400 |
49 | Faith Promise Church | Knoxville | TN | 4,355 |
50 | Clear Creek Community Church | League City | TX | 4,322 |
51 | First Baptist Church | Pasadena | TX | 4,250 |
51 | Greater Cornerstone Baptist Church | Dallas | TX | 4,250 |
51 | The Church at Rock Creek | Little Rock | AR | 4,250 |
54 | Thechurch.at Battlecreek | Broken Arrow | OK | 4,208 |
55 | Johnson Ferry Baptist Church | Marietta | GA | 4,139 |
56 | Sagemont Church | Houston | TX | 4,136 |
57 | Cascade Hills Baptist Church | Columbus | GA | 4,100 |
58 | Liberty Baptist Church | Hampton | VA | 4,014 |
59 | Hickory Grove Baptist Church | Charlotte | NC | 3,834 |
60 | Sugar Creek Baptist Church | Sugar Land | TX | 3,790 |
61 | Gardendale First Baptist Church | Gardendale | AL | 3,757 |
62 | Bell Shoals Baptist Church | Brandon | FL | 3,593 |
63 | Valley Baptist Church | Bakersfield | CA | 3,586 |
64 | Virginia Highlands Christian Fellowship | Abingdon | VA | 3,583 |
65 | Mosaic LA | Los Angeles | CA | 3,570 |
66 | Riverbend Baptist Church | Austin | TX | 3,500 |
67 | Calvary Baptist Church | Clearwater | FL | 3,478 |
68 | First Baptist Church of Naples | Naples | FL | 3,477 |
69 | Sevier Heights Baptist Church | Knoxville | TN | 3,464 |
70 | Metropolitan Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 3,439 |
71 | Waters Edge Church | Yorktown | VA | 3,432 |
72 | First Baptist Church | Dallas | TX | 3,426 |
73 | Southwest Community Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 3,400 |
73 | Spartanburg First Baptist Church | Spartanburg | SC | 3,400 |
75 | Central Baptist Church | Jonesboro | AR | 3,319 |
76 | Calvary Baptist Church | Winston Salem | NC | 3,304 |
77 | Hebron Baptist Church | Dacula | GA | 3,246 |
78 | Mud Creek Church | Hendersonville | NC | 3,220 |
79 | Beltway Park Baptist Church | Abilene | TX | 3,067 |
80 | Central Baptist Church, Bryan | College Station | TX | 3,000 |
81 | Bear Creek Baptist Church | Katy | TX | 2,968 |
82 | First Baptist Church at the Mall | Lakeland | FL | 2,966 |
83 | Cleveland First Baptist Church | Cleveland | TN | 2,965 |
84 | Oakwood Baptist Church | New Braunfels | TX | 2,947 |
85 | Olive Baptist Church | Pensacola | FL | 2,932 |
86 | Hunter Street Baptist Church | Hoover | AL | 2,916 |
87 | First Baptist Church Indian Trail | Indian Trail | NC | 2,888 |
88 | Abundant Life Baptist Church | Lees Summit | MO | 2,880 |
88 | Rock Bridge Community Church | Dalton | GA | 2,880 |
90 | Dawson Memorial Baptist Church | Homewood | AL | 2,875 |
90 | First Baptist Church of Brandon | Brandon | FL | 2,875 |
92 | The Heights Baptist Church | Richardson | TX | 2,866 |
93 | Concord First Baptist Church | Knoxville | TN | 2,846 |
94 | Willowbrook Baptist Church | Huntsville | AL | 2,845 |
95 | Shadow Hills Baptist Church | Las Vegas | NV | 2,781 |
96 | Indian Rocks First Baptist Church | Largo | FL | 2,780 |
97 | Hendersonville First Baptist Church | Hendersonville | TN | 2,775 |
98 | Silverlake Church | Pearland | TX | 2,766 |
99 | LifePoint Church | Smyrna | TN | 2,746 |
100 | Highview Baptist Church | Louisville | KY | 2,730 |
101 | Grace Baptist Church | Knoxville | TN | 2,700 |
102 | First Baptist Church of Arnold | Arnold | MO | 2,686 |
103 | C3 Church NC | Clayton | NC | 2,671 |
104 | Lenexa Baptist Church | Lenexa | KS | 2,667 |
105 | Crossroads Church | Newnan | GA | 2,665 |
106 | Lifepoint Church | Fredericksburg | VA | 2,643 |
107 | McGregor Baptist Church | Fort Myers | FL | 2,636 |
108 | Blackshear Place Baptist Church | Flowery Branch | GA | 2,635 |
109 | First Baptist Church of Jacksonville | Jacksonville | NC | 2,608 |
110 | Henderson Hills Baptist Church | Edmond | OK | 2,600 |
111 | Pleasant Valley Baptist Church | Liberty | MO | 2,592 |
112 | Silverdale Baptist Church | Chattanooga | TN | 2,584 |
113 | Cornerstone Church | Ames | IA | 2,575 |
114 | Englewood Baptist Church | Jackson | TN | 2,556 |
115 | Immanuel Baptist Church | Highland | CA | 2,543 |
116 | Opelika First | Opelika | AL | 2,541 |
117 | First Baptist Church, Euless | Euless | TX | 2,534 |
118 | East Bayou Baptist Church | Lafayette | LA | 2,502 |
118 | First Baptist Church of Hattiesburg | Hattiesburg | MS | 2,502 |
120 | New Faith Church of Houston | Houston | TX | 2,500 |
120 | Oasis Church of South Florida | Pembroke Pines | FL | 2,500 |
120 | Praise Temple Baptist Church | Shreveport | LA | 2,500 |
120 | Rock Springs Baptist Church | Easley | SC | 2,500 |
120 | Russian Baptist Church | West Sacramento | CA | 2,500 |
125 | Great Commission Baptist Church | Fort Worth | TX | 2,453 |
126 | La Familia de Dios | Ontario | CA | 2,450 |
126 | Shades Mountain Baptist Church | Vestavia Hills | AL | 2,450 |
128 | The Grove Community Church | Riverside | CA | 2,438 |
129 | Grace Fellowship | West Palm Beach | FL | 2,430 |
130 | Kingsland Baptist Church | Katy | TX | 2,408 |
131 | First Baptist Church Norfolk | Norfolk | VA | 2,402 |
132 | First Baptist Church | Arlington | TX | 2,401 |
133 | First Baptist Church | Broken Arrow | OK | 2,400 |
133 | Iglesia Bautista De Glenview | Ponce | PR | 2,400 |
135 | Park Cities Baptist Church | Dallas | TX | 2,340 |
136 | Mobberly Baptist Church | Longview | TX | 2,313 |
137 | Fielder Road Baptist Church | Arlington | TX | 2,312 |
138 | Apex Community Church | Kettering | OH | 2,300 |
138 | Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church | Jacksonville | FL | 2,300 |
140 | First Baptist Church of Oviedo | Oviedo | FL | 2,299 |
141 | Broadmoor Baptist Church | Madison | MS | 2,298 |
142 | Bethlehem Baptist Church | Gastonia | NC | 2,287 |
143 | Glenview Baptist Church | Fort Worth | TX | 2,280 |
144 | Burnt Hickory Baptist Church | Powder Springs | GA | 2,253 |
145 | Shandon Baptist Church | Columbia | SC | 2,250 |
145 | Word Tabernacle | Rocky Mount | NC | 2,250 |
147 | First Baptist Church | West Monroe | LA | 2,246 |
148 | New Vision Church of Northern California | Milpitas | CA | 2,232 |
149 | The Heights Baptist Church | Colonial Heights | VA | 2,225 |
150 | First Baptist Church of Wylie | Wylie | TX | 2,200 |
151 | The Fort Bend Church | Sugar Land | TX | 2,189 |
152 | First Baptist Church | Wichita Falls | TX | 2,182 |
153 | Summit Church | Fort Myers | FL | 2,180 |
154 | Second Baptist Church | Springfield | MO | 2,174 |
155 | Bay Life Church | Brandon | FL | 2,151 |
156 | Fort Lauderdale First Baptist Church | Fort Lauderdale | FL | 2,150 |
156 | Valley View Baptist Church | Louisville | KY | 2,150 |
158 | Alamo City Christian Fellowship Church | San Antonio | TX | 2,125 |
158 | Cedar Creek Baptist Church | Aiken | SC | 2,125 |
160 | Geyer Springs First Baptist Church | Little Rock | AR | 2,118 |
161 | Columbia First Baptist Church | Columbia | SC | 2,100 |
161 | First Baptist Church | Amarillo | TX | 2,100 |
161 | First Baptist Church Woodway | Woodway | TX | 2,100 |
164 | Broadmoor Baptist Church | Shreveport | LA | 2,083 |
165 | Warren Baptist Church | Augusta | GA | 2,046 |
166 | The Avenue Church | Waxahachie | TX | 2,044 |
167 | Thompson Station Baptist Church | Thompson Station | TN | 2,041 |
168 | First Baptist Church of McKinney | McKinney | TX | 2,036 |
169 | Grace Community Church | Clarksville | TN | 2,030 |
170 | SouthCrest Baptist Church | Newnan | GA | 2,027 |
171 | Cross Pointe Church | Duluth | GA | 2,001 |
172 | Abba’s House | Hixson | TN | 2,000 |
172 | Baptist Temple | McAllen | TX | 2,000 |
172 | East Brent Baptist Church | Pensacola | FL | 2,000 |
172 | First Baptist Church Jackson | Jackson | MS | 2,000 |
172 | First Baptist Forney | Forney | TX | 2,000 |
172 | First Baptist of Jonesboro | Jonesboro | GA | 2,000 |
172 | Greenforest Community | Decatur | GA | 2,000 |
172 | North Spartanburg First | Spartanburg | SC | 2,000 |
180 | Cuyahoga Valley Church | Broadview Heights | OH | 1,986 |
180 | NorthPointe Community Church | Fresno | CA | 1,986 |
182 | Simpsonville First | Simpsonville | SC | 1,984 |
183 | Forest Park Baptist Church | Joplin | MO | 1,964 |
184 | Chets Creek Church | Jacksonville | FL | 1,963 |
185 | Calvary Baptist Church | Beaumont | TX | 1,959 |
186 | Montgomery First | Montgomery | AL | 1,958 |
187 | Hillcrest Church | Pensacola | FL | 1,950 |
188 | Living Hope Baptist Church | Bowling Green | KY | 1,940 |
189 | Temple | New Bern | NC | 1,935 |
190 | Seoul Baptist Church of Houston | Houston | TX | 1,931 |
191 | First Baptist Church | Covington | LA | 1,924 |
191 | Ingleside Baptist Church | Macon | GA | 1,924 |
193 | Sevierville First | Sevierville | TN | 1,923 |
194 | Dallas Bay Baptist Church | Hixson | TN | 1,915 |
195 | Northwood Church | Keller | TX | 1,913 |
196 | Spotswood Baptist Church | Fredericksburg | VA | 1,908 |
197 | Tallowood Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 1,907 |
198 | Lifepoint Church | Tampa | FL | 1,900 |
199 | Brainerd Baptist Church | Chattanooga | TN | 1,899 |
200 | Panama City First | Panama City | FL | 1,898 |
201 | Fellowship of the Parks | Keller | TX | 1,896 |
202 | River Oak Church | Chesapeake | VA | 1,890 |
203 | Crossgates Baptist Church | Brandon | MS | 1,886 |
204 | Midway Macedonia Baptist Church | Villa Rica | GA | 1,882 |
205 | Community Life Church | Forney | TX | 1,876 |
206 | Hyde Park Baptist Church | Austin | TX | 1,859 |
207 | First Baptist Church | Rockwall | TX | 1,850 |
208 | Calvary Baptist Church | Alexandria | LA | 1,845 |
209 | PaulAnn Baptist Church | San Angelo | TX | 1,843 |
210 | Mountain Lake Community Church | Cumming | GA | 1,835 |
210 | Rogers First | Rogers | AR | 1,835 |
212 | Southcrest Baptist Church | Lubbock | TX | 1,833 |
213 | Taylors First | Taylors | SC | 1,831 |
214 | Ridgecrest Baptist Church | Springfield | MO | 1,825 |
215 | Hope Baptist Church | Las Vegas | NV | 1,813 |
216 | Casas Adobes Baptist Church | Tucson | AZ | 1,812 |
217 | Berendo Street Baptist Church | Los Angeles | CA | 1,800 |
217 | Immanuel Baptist Church | Shawnee | OK | 1,800 |
217 | Northstar Church | Kennesaw | GA | 1,800 |
220 | Humble Area’s First Baptist Church | Humble | TX | 1,788 |
221 | East Memorial Baptist Church | Prattville | AL | 1,784 |
222 | New Hope Baptist Church | Fayetteville | GA | 1,783 |
223 | Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church | Allen | TX | 1,772 |
223 | Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church | McDonough | GA | 1,772 |
225 | Istrouma Baptist Church | Baton Rouge | LA | 1,752 |
226 | Family Church | Pine Bluff | AR | 1,750 |
226 | First Baptist Church | Bossier City | LA | 1,750 |
226 | Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville | Brownsville | TX | 1,750 |
229 | Quail Springs Baptist Church | Oklahoma City | OK | 1,730 |
230 | Colonial Hills Baptist Church | Southaven | MS | 1,716 |
231 | Whitesburg Baptist Church | Huntsville | AL | 1,709 |
232 | Mount Ararat Baptist Church | Stafford | VA | 1,705 |
233 | CrossPointe Church | Valdosta | GA | 1,700 |
233 | First Baptist Church | Midland | TX | 1,700 |
233 | First Chinese Baptist Church | Los Angeles | CA | 1,700 |
233 | Mt Calvary Baptist Church | Fairfield | CA | 1,700 |
233 | North Jacksonville Baptist Church | Jacksonville | FL | 1,700 |
233 | North Monroe Baptist Church | Monroe | LA | 1,700 |
239 | Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles | Alhambra | CA | 1,698 |
240 | Trinity Baptist Church | Lake Charles | LA | 1,675 |
241 | 3Circle Church | Fairhope | AL | 1,665 |
242 | First Baptist Church Snellville | Snellville | GA | 1,655 |
243 | O’Fallon First | O””Fallon | IL | 1,650 |
243 | True North Church | North Augusta | SC | 1,650 |
243 | Tuscaloosa First | Tuscaloosa | AL | 1,650 |
246 | Temple Missionary Baptist Church | San Bernardino | CA | 1,644 |
247 | Fellowship of The Rockies | Pueblo | CO | 1,643 |
248 | Ridgecrest Baptist Church | Dothan | AL | 1,638 |
249 | Lee Park Baptist Church | Monroe | NC | 1,637 |
250 | Cowboy Church of Ellis County | Waxahachie | TX | 1,632 |
251 | Sherwood Baptist Church | Albany | GA | 1,604 |
252 | First Baptist Church | Texarkana | TX | 1,600 |
252 | New Life Community | E Saint Louis | IL | 1,600 |
252 | North Phoenix Baptist Church | Phoenix | AZ | 1,600 |
252 | Stonegate Fellowship Church | Midland | TX | 1,600 |
256 | Jacob’s Well | Eau Claire | WI | 1,590 |
257 | Faith Baptist Church | Bartlett | TN | 1,583 |
258 | Global Mission Church of Greater Washington | Silver Spring | MD | 1,581 |
259 | Bannockburn Baptist Church | Austin | TX | 1,564 |
260 | Jersey Baptist Church | Pataskala | OH | 1,552 |
261 | Brentwood Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 1,547 |
262 | Twin Cities Community Church | Grass Valley | CA | 1,536 |
263 | University Baptist Church | Coral Gables | FL | 1,535 |
264 | Oakwood Baptist Church | Chickamauga | GA | 1,533 |
265 | First Baptist Church | Garland | TX | 1,517 |
265 | North Richland Hills Baptist Church | North Richland Hills | TX | 1,517 |
267 | City Church | Tallahassee | FL | 1,512 |
268 | Boiling Springs First Baptist Church | Boiling Springs | SC | 1,508 |
269 | First Redeemer Church | Cumming | GA | 1,507 |
270 | Anastasia Baptist Church | St. Augustine | FL | 1,503 |
271 | Crossway Baptist Church | Springfield | MO | 1,500 |
271 | First Baptist Church | Raytown | MO | 1,500 |
271 | Foothills Community Church | Seneca | SC | 1,500 |
271 | Grace Point Church | San Antonio | TX | 1,500 |
271 | Grove Level Baptist Church | Maysville | GA | 1,500 |
271 | Lakewood Baptist Church | Gainesville | GA | 1,500 |
271 | Rockpointe Church | Flower Mound | TX | 1,500 |
271 | Sunnyvale First Baptist Church | Sunnyvale | TX | 1,500 |
271 | Westside Church | Omaha | NE | 1,500 |
271 | Woodland Community Church | Bradenton | FL | 1,500 |
281 | First Baptist Church | Denton | TX | 1,495 |
281 | Watkinsville First Baptist Church | Watkinsville | GA | 1,495 |
283 | Immanuel Baptist Church | Lexington | KY | 1,486 |
284 | Birchman Baptist Church | Fort Worth | TX | 1,470 |
285 | Journey Church | Evans | GA | 1,468 |
286 | First Baptist Church Windermere | Windermere | FL | 1,454 |
287 | First Baptist Church Tulsa | Tulsa | OK | 1,451 |
288 | Fairview Baptist Church | Corryton | TN | 1,450 |
289 | Temple Baptist Church | Hattiesburg | MS | 1,446 |
290 | South Bay Church | San Jose | CA | 1,445 |
290 | Southern Hills Baptist Church | Oklahoma City | OK | 1,445 |
292 | 121 Community Church | Grapevine | TX | 1,440 |
292 | Bon Air Baptist Church | Richmond | VA | 1,440 |
294 | First Baptist Church | San Antonio | TX | 1,437 |
295 | Genoa Baptist Church | Westerville | OH | 1,429 |
296 | Keystone Church | Keller | TX | 1,422 |
297 | Maryville First | Maryville | IL | 1,420 |
297 | Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church | Mesquite | TX | 1,420 |
299 | First Baptist Church of Kissimmee | Kissimmee | FL | 1,415 |
300 | Fort Smith First Baptist Church | Fort Smith | AR | 1,414 |
301 | Concord Missionary Baptist Church | Dallas | TX | 1,400 |
301 | First Baptist Church | Moore | OK | 1,400 |
301 | First Baptist Church of Plant City | Plant City | FL | 1,400 |
301 | First St. John Missionary Baptist | Fort Worth | TX | 1,400 |
301 | Greater St Matthew Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 1,400 |
301 | Hibernia Baptist Church | Fleming Island | FL | 1,400 |
301 | Lawndale Baptist Church | Greensboro | NC | 1,400 |
301 | North Metro First Baptist Church | Lawrenceville | GA | 1,400 |
301 | Valley Creek Baptist Church | Flower Mound | TX | 1,400 |
310 | Collierville First Baptist Church | Collierville | TN | 1,390 |
310 | Spring Baptist Church | Spring | TX | 1,390 |
312 | Graceland Baptist Church | New Albany | IN | 1,387 |
313 | Grace Church | Des Moines | IA | 1,383 |
314 | Grace Fellowship Church | Paradise | TX | 1,377 |
315 | First Baptist of Gainesville | Gainesville | GA | 1,375 |
315 | Hill Crest | Anniston | AL | 1,375 |
317 | Paramount Baptist Church | Amarillo | TX | 1,372 |
318 | Emmanuel Baptist Church | Enid | OK | 1,370 |
319 | Westbrook Baptist Church | Hutchinson | KS | 1,368 |
320 | Powell First Baptist Church | Powell | TN | 1,356 |
321 | Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 1,355 |
322 | First Baptist Church | Carrollton | TX | 1,354 |
323 | Harris Creek Baptist Church | Mc Gregor | TX | 1,350 |
323 | Metro Community Church | Edwardsville | IL | 1,350 |
323 | Morristown First Baptist Church | Morristown | TN | 1,350 |
323 | North Asheville Baptist Church | Asheville | NC | 1,350 |
323 | Peace Baptist Church | Decatur | GA | 1,350 |
323 | Resurrection Baptist Church | Schertz | TX | 1,350 |
329 | First Baptist Church Woodbridge | Woodbridge | VA | 1,349 |
330 | Travis Avenue Baptist Church | Fort Worth | TX | 1,346 |
331 | Hendersonville First | Hendersonville | NC | 1,341 |
331 | Lone Oak First | Paducah | KY | 1,341 |
333 | First Baptist Church of Middleburg | Middleburg | FL | 1,340 |
334 | Alice Drive Baptist Church | Sumter | SC | 1,338 |
335 | First Baptist Church of Allen | Allen | TX | 1,334 |
336 | Millington First Baptist Church | Millington | TN | 1,330 |
337 | Bellevue Baptist Church | Owensboro | KY | 1,326 |
338 | First Baptist Church | Summit | MS | 1,325 |
338 | Hopeful Baptist Church | Lake City | FL | 1,325 |
340 | Emmanuel Community Church | Conyers | GA | 1,323 |
341 | Hiland Park Baptist Church | Panama City | FL | 1,320 |
342 | Columbia Baptist Church | Falls Church | VA | 1,319 |
343 | Crosspoint Southern Baptist Church | Trussville | AL | 1,317 |
344 | Hyland Heights Baptist Church | Lynchburg | VA | 1,314 |
345 | Parkwood Baptist Church | Gastonia | NC | 1,313 |
346 | Oak Ridge Baptist Church | Salisbury | MD | 1,311 |
347 | Fellowship Community Church | Salem | VA | 1,305 |
347 | Westwood Baptist Church | Alabaster | AL | 1,305 |
349 | ClearView Baptist Church | Franklin | TN | 1,304 |
350 | Arran Lake Baptist Church | Fayetteville | NC | 1,300 |
350 | Bayside Baptist Church | Harrison | TN | 1,300 |
350 | Council Road Baptist Church | Bethany | OK | 1,300 |
350 | Crestview Baptist Church | Georgetown | TX | 1,300 |
350 | Daystar Church | Greensboro | NC | 1,300 |
350 | First Baptist Church Powder Springs | Powder Springs | GA | 1,300 |
350 | First Baptist of Thomasville | Thomasville | GA | 1,300 |
350 | French Speaking Baptist Church Brooklyn | Brooklyn | NY | 1,300 |
350 | Green Valley Baptist Church | Henderson | NV | 1,300 |
350 | Immanuel Baptist Church | Little Rock | AR | 1,300 |
350 | Johns Creek Baptist Church | Alpharetta | GA | 1,300 |
350 | Spring Hills Community Church | Santa Rosa | CA | 1,300 |
362 | South Biscayne Church | North Port | FL | 1,296 |
363 | Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church | Moore | SC | 1,291 |
364 | South Tampa Fellowship | Tampa | FL | 1,290 |
365 | Del Sol Church | El Paso | TX | 1,289 |
365 | Longview Heights Baptist Church | Olive Branch | MS | 1,289 |
367 | First Baptist Church of Harvester | Saint Charles | MO | 1,288 |
367 | Hilldale Baptist Church | Clarksville | TN | 1,288 |
369 | Lakeside Baptist Church | Granbury | TX | 1,287 |
370 | Second Baptist Church | Warner Robins | GA | 1,285 |
371 | Scotts Hill | Wilmington | NC | 1,284 |
372 | Avalon Church | McDonough | GA | 1,275 |
372 | Hopewell | Monroe | NC | 1,275 |
372 | LifePoint Church | Lewis Center | OH | 1,275 |
372 | Stevens Street Baptist Church | Cookeville | TN | 1,275 |
376 | Roswell Street Baptist Church | Marietta | GA | 1,270 |
377 | First Baptist Church | Roanoke | VA | 1,266 |
377 | Houston Northwest Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 1,266 |
379 | FishHawk Fellowship | Lithia | FL | 1,263 |
380 | Franklin Heights Baptist Church | Rocky Mount | VA | 1,256 |
381 | Higher Ground Baptist Church | Kingsport | TN | 1,254 |
382 | First Baptist Church | Universal Cty | TX | 1,252 |
383 | Cornerstone Community Church | Orangeburg | SC | 1,250 |
383 | First Baptist of Bethlehem | Bethlehem | GA | 1,250 |
383 | Hawk Creek | London | KY | 1,250 |
383 | Kirby Woods Baptist Church | Memphis | TN | 1,250 |
383 | Mount Pleasant Baptist Church | Herndon | VA | 1,250 |
388 | Clovis Hills Community Church | Clovis | CA | 1,248 |
389 | First Baptist of Conyers | Conyers | GA | 1,236 |
390 | First Baptist Church | Lubbock | TX | 1,234 |
391 | Calvary | Tuscaloosa | AL | 1,233 |
392 | 514 Church | New Albany | OH | 1,225 |
393 | First Baptist Church of Frisco | Frisco | TX | 1,223 |
394 | Fruit Cove Baptist Church | Jacksonville | FL | 1,222 |
395 | Prattville First Baptist Church | Prattville | AL | 1,221 |
396 | First Baptist Church | Lafayette | LA | 1,220 |
397 | Mount Zion Baptist Church | Huntsville | AL | 1,219 |
398 | Parkway Church | Victoria | TX | 1,215 |
399 | Severns Valley | Elizabethtown | KY | 1,211 |
400 | First Baptist Church | Branson | MO | 1,208 |
401 | First Baptist Church of Central Florida | Orlando | FL | 1,204 |
402 | First Baptist Church | Midlothian | TX | 1,202 |
403 | Antioch Church | Long Beach | CA | 1,200 |
403 | Bentonville First Baptist Church | Bentonville | AR | 1,200 |
403 | Faith Baptist Church | Youngsville | NC | 1,200 |
403 | First Keller | Keller | TX | 1,200 |
403 | Hillcrest Baptist Church | Lebanon | TN | 1,200 |
403 | Mesilla Park Community Church | Mesilla Park | NM | 1,200 |
403 | Powhatan Community Church | Powhatan | VA | 1,200 |
403 | Russell Missionary Baptist Church | Green Cove Springs | FL | 1,200 |
403 | StoneBridge Church | The Woodlands | TX | 1,200 |
403 | Tacoma First Baptist Church | Tacoma | WA | 1,200 |
413 | The Glade Church | Gladeville | TN | 1,197 |
413 | Westside Baptist Church | Jacksonville | FL | 1,197 |
415 | Florence | Florence | KY | 1,194 |
416 | Dayspring Baptist Church | Mobile | AL | 1,190 |
417 | First Baptist Church | Lewisville | TX | 1,183 |
418 | First Missionary Baptist Church | Ardmore | OK | 1,179 |
419 | West University Baptist Church | Houston | TX | 1,178 |
420 | First Baptist North Mobile | Saraland | AL | 1,177 |
421 | Lindsay Lane Baptist Church | Athens | AL | 1,167 |
422 | Pathways Community Church | Santee | CA | 1,165 |
423 | Northside Baptist Church | Liverpool | NY | 1,164 |
424 | Brushy Creek Baptist Church | Taylors | SC | 1,161 |
424 | Stuart Heights Baptist Church | Hixson | TN | 1,161 |
426 | Glen Haven Baptist Church | McDonough | GA | 1,154 |
427 | Grove Avenue Baptist Church | Richmond | VA | 1,151 |
428 | First Baptist Church | Hurst | TX | 1,150 |
428 | Golden Acres Baptist Church | Phenix City | AL | 1,150 |
428 | Hunters Glen Baptist Church | Plano | TX | 1,150 |
428 | Redeemer Church of Lubbock | Lubbock | TX | 1,150 |
428 | Vandalia First Baptist Church | Vandalia | OH | 1,150 |
433 | First Baptist Church | Odessa | TX | 1,145 |
434 | Fairview Baptist Church | Columbus | MS | 1,140 |
434 | Walnut Ridge Baptist Church | Mansfield | TX | 1,140 |
436 | CrossPoint City Church | Cartersville | GA | 1,139 |
437 | Immanuel Baptist Church | Lebanon | TN | 1,136 |
438 | North Side Baptist Church | Weatherford | TX | 1,135 |
439 | Englewood | Rocky Mount | NC | 1,134 |
439 | Life Community Church | Jamestown | NC | 1,134 |
441 | Harvest Baptist Church | Watauga | TX | 1,132 |
442 | First Baptist Church of Merritt Island | Merritt Island | FL | 1,127 |
442 | Immanuel Baptist Church | Tallahassee | FL | 1,127 |
444 | Dogwood Church | Peachtree City | GA | 1,126 |
444 | LifeSpring Church | Bellevue | NE | 1,126 |
446 | First Baptist Church | Burleson | TX | 1,125 |
447 | Aloma Church Ministries | Winter Park | FL | 1,120 |
447 | Woodland Park Baptist Church | Chattanooga | TN | 1,120 |
449 | Southwinds Church | Tracy | CA | 1,113 |
450 | Summer Grove Baptist Church | Shreveport | LA | 1,109 |
451 | Harrisburg Baptist Church | Tupelo | MS | 1,107 |
452 | First Baptist Church | The Woodlands | TX | 1,105 |
453 | Old Fort Baptist Church | Summerville | SC | 1,101 |
454 | Benton First Baptist Church | Benton | AR | 1,100 |
454 | Cool Spring Baptist Church | Mechanicsville | VA | 1,100 |
454 | Cross Brand Cowboy Church | Tyler | TX | 1,100 |
454 | First Baptist Church | Irving | TX | 1,100 |
454 | First Baptist Church | Richardson | TX | 1,100 |
454 | First Baptist Church of Pelham | Pelham | AL | 1,100 |
454 | Fort Mill First Baptist Church | Fort Mill | SC | 1,100 |
454 | Mims Baptist Church | Conroe | TX | 1,100 |
454 | Northside | Wilmington | NC | 1,100 |
454 | Pleasant Garden | Pleasant Garden | NC | 1,100 |
454 | Second Baptist Church | Baytown | TX | 1,100 |
454 | Streetlife at Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge | LA | 1,100 |
454 | The Connection Church | Kyle | TX | 1,100 |
454 | Westside Baptist Church | Lewisville | TX | 1,100 |
468 | Hillcrest | Hopkinsville | KY | 1,098 |
469 | The River Community Church | Cookeville | TN | 1,096 |
470 | Binghamtown | Middlesboro | KY | 1,095 |
471 | Crossroads Baptist Church | The Woodlands | TX | 1,092 |
472 | The Church at Viera | Melbourne | FL | 1,087 |
472 | Village Baptist Church | Fayetteville | NC | 1,087 |
474 | Calvary Baptist Church | Lake Havasu City | AZ | 1,086 |
475 | Western Avenue | Statesville | NC | 1,082 |
476 | First Baptist Church of Leesburg | Leesburg | FL | 1,081 |
477 | Hermitage Hills Baptist Church | Hermitage | TN | 1,080 |
478 | Cornerstone Community | Marion | IL | 1,079 |
478 | First Baptist Church Lilburn | Lilburn | GA | 1,079 |
480 | Calvary Baptist Church | Dothan | AL | 1,077 |
480 | Corryton Baptist Church | Corryton | TN | 1,077 |
482 | Friendship Baptist Church | The Colony | TX | 1,075 |
483 | Forest Hills Baptist Church | Nashville | TN | 1,074 |
484 | First Baptist of Cumming | Cumming | GA | 1,073 |
484 | Prince Avenue Baptist Church | Bogart | GA | 1,073 |
486 | First Baptist Church Statesboro | Statesboro | GA | 1,071 |
487 | First Baptist Church of Alexandria | Alexandria | VA | 1,067 |
488 | Cornerstone Baptist Church | Roseville | MI | 1,065 |
488 | Emmanuel Baptist Church | Billings | MT | 1,065 |
490 | Columbia First Baptist Church | Columbia | TN | 1,064 |
490 | Highland Baptist Church | Waco | TX | 1,064 |
492 | Deep Creek Baptist Church | Chesapeake | VA | 1,061 |
492 | First Baptist Church | Georgetown | TX | 1,061 |
494 | First Baptist Church of Brandon | Brandon | MS | 1,059 |
495 | Southcliff Baptist Church | Fort Worth | TX | 1,057 |
496 | Tillman’s Corner First | Mobile | AL | 1,055 |
497 | First Baptist Church of Weston | Weston | FL | 1,052 |
498 | Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church | Garland | TX | 1,051 |
499 | Bay Leaf Baptist Church | Raleigh | NC | 1,050 |
499 | Central Baptist Church | Warner Robins | GA | 1,050 |
499 | Enterprise First Baptist Church | Enterprise | AL | 1,050 |
499 | First Baptist Church Madison | Madison | MS | 1,050 |
499 | Gulf to Lake Baptist Church | Crystal River | FL | 1,050 |
499 | New Song Church | Carrollton | TX | 1,050 |
499 | Russellville First Baptist Church | Russellville | AR | 1,050 |
499 | Westside Baptist Church | Gainesville | FL | 1,050 |
507 | West Jackson Baptist Church | Jackson | TN | 1,047 |
508 | St Luke Missionary Baptist Church | Humble | TX | 1,045 |
509 | Center Grove | Clemmons | NC | 1,043 |
510 | Cornerstone Family Church | St. Cloud | FL | 1,042 |
510 | Hot Springs First Baptist Church | Hot Springs | AR | 1,042 |
512 | Valley View | Tuscaloosa | AL | 1,040 |
513 | Decatur Baptist | Decatur | AL | 1,039 |
513 | Green Street | High Point | NC | 1,039 |
515 | The Fellowship At Cinco Ranch | Katy | TX | 1,038 |
516 | Millbrook Baptist Church | Aiken | SC | 1,036 |
517 | South Tulsa Baptist Church | Tulsa | OK | 1,035 |
518 | First Baptist Church | Colleyville | TX | 1,034 |
518 | Temple Terrace First Baptist Church | Temple Terrace | FL | 1,034 |
520 | First Baptist Church | Richmond | VA | 1,030 |
520 | Little Flock | Shepherdsville | KY | 1,030 |
520 | Spring Hills Baptist | Granville | OH | 1,030 |
523 | Northcliffe Baptist Church | Spring Hill | FL | 1,027 |
524 | East Leesville Baptist Church | Leesville | LA | 1,025 |
524 | First Baptist Church | Belton | TX | 1,025 |
524 | Pioneer Drive Baptist Church | Abilene | TX | 1,025 |
527 | Coggin Avenue Baptist Church | Brownwood | TX | 1,024 |
527 | Highland Park | Muscle Shoals | AL | 1,024 |
529 | Lakeview | Auburn | AL | 1,021 |
530 | Huntsville First Baptist Church | Huntsville | AL | 1,019 |
531 | First Baptist Church | Houma | LA | 1,016 |
531 | Willow Park Baptist Church | Aledo | TX | 1,016 |
533 | North Augusta First Baptist Church | North Augusta | SC | 1,013 |
533 | Porter Memorial | Lexington | KY | 1,013 |
535 | Greenwell Springs Baptist Church | Greenwell Springs | LA | 1,012 |
536 | Cypress Baptist Church | Benton | LA | 1,011 |
537 | Belle Aire Baptist Church | Murfreesboro | TN | 1,010 |
537 | London Bridge Baptist Church | Virginia Beach | VA | 1,010 |
539 | Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church | Riverside | CA | 1,009 |
540 | Hillcrest Baptist Church | Cedar Hill | TX | 1,008 |
541 | Broadview Missionary | Broadview | IL | 1,005 |
541 | First Chinese Baptist Church | Walnut | CA | 1,005 |
541 | Hopewell Baptist Church | Gainesville | GA | 1,005 |
544 | Calvary Baptist Church | Shreveport | LA | 1,004 |
545 | Bonsack Baptist Church | Roanoke | VA | 1,000 |
545 | Clearview Baptist Church | Travelers Rest | SC | 1,000 |
545 | Coronado Baptist Church | El Paso | TX | 1,000 |
545 | Crosspoint Church | Pearland | TX | 1,000 |
545 | Emmanuel Baptist Church | Grenada | MS | 1,000 |
545 | Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church | Indianapolis | IN | 1,000 |
545 | First Baptist Church | Warrensburg | MO | 1,000 |
545 | First Baptist Church Douglasville | Douglasville | GA | 1,000 |
545 | First Baptist Church of Umatilla | Umatilla | FL | 1,000 |
545 | First Baptist Church on the Square | LaGrange | GA | 1,000 |
545 | First Baptist Church | Pflugerville | TX | 1,000 |
545 | First Baptist of Augusta | Augusta | GA | 1,000 |
545 | Journey Church | Franklin | TN | 1,000 |
545 | Newchurch | Oklahoma City | OK | 1,000 |
545 | ReThink Life Church | Orlando | FL | 1,000 |
545 | Rock Hill First Baptist Church | Rock Hill | SC | 1,000 |
545 | The Bridge at Palma Sola Bay | Bradenton | FL | 1,000 |
545 | Tulip Grove Baptist Church | Old Hickory | TN | 1,000 |
Please explain the purpose in publishing this list and the value it provides your readers. I enjoy your post. They bring great value for me as a pastor, but do not see any value in this post for me as a pastor or any pastor. Please accept my apology if I sound harsh. That is not my intention. Thanks.
No need to apologize. Some of the readers appreciate such stats merely out of interest. If you don’t, that is fine as well.
David, I think perhaps you are pointing out that a large church doesn’t necessarily indicate a healthy church, to which I agree.
What this chart does for me (my church, where I am simply a deacon) is #453 on the list. But in recent years we were told that we were far, far closer to the top in terms of our giving to the Lottie Moon offering. (please understand I’m not flaunting that, we are in a geographic area that can afford to do this in terms of economic prosperity).
It means that we are both encouraged and challenged by what we can do as a community of believers. Remember how Paul encouraged/challenged his churches by commending to them the generosity of others.
While Thom didn’t post this specifically for this purpose, all you need to do is cross-reference it with how your church sits with other churches in such issues. At that point, use biblical wisdom and conviction of the Spirit to decide whether your church needs to improve in it’s giving to missions. It can be a good challenge and a good encouragement.
It is not, however, a litmus test for anything. Simply data that can be interpreted one way or the other, based on the context of each church.
This has been helpful for me. I am a Ugandan believer who has been admitted to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have never been to the USA and I needed to be familiar with Baptist churches in Kentucky, especially in the Louisville area, because I will need to join one on arrival. I also wanted to know which of them may help me with advice and financing for my MDiv program. This article was a God-send. Not that I have yet succeeded, but I know where to begin from. Thank you very much for this information!
love the numbers!! great to see how our sbc churches are growing!!!
As a single adult Christian, I appreciate the collection of these numbers. …..As an overlooked minority in most church environments, it is important for me to look for churches with large congregations. ……Niche interests groups make sense only in large populations of people, even though most churches try to do the old ‘square peg in a round hole’ thing with everyone who walks in the door.
I do wish the data went all the way down to congregations with 600 or so.
I agree. I moved to a rural area of VA from SC. I miss my big church with so much to offer different ages and interest. I don’t need a 1000 member church but would also appreciate it going down to at least 500. That’s a lot for where I am.
This has been helpful for me. I am a Ugandan believer who has been admitted to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have never been to the USA and I needed to be familiar with Baptist churches in Kentucky, especially in the Louisville area, because I will need to join one on arrival. I also wanted to know which of them may help me with advice and financing for my MDiv program. This article was a God-send. Not that I have yet succeeded, but I know where to begin from. Thank you very much for this information!
1) Where are the New England and Mid-Atlantic region churches?
2) We may list by size, our Lord will list by faithfulness.
John: In response to number one, we are simply reporting stats from those who sent us the data.
Anyone else see the irony that Second Baptist, Houston, is second on the list?
@Matt: No, I didn’t notice until you pointed it out, and I must confess that it took me a few seconds to get your point. Thanks for the laugh! 🙂
John,
there might be two that break the 1000 people mark if that’s anything to you. NetCast Church in Beverly, MA and Grace Church in Avon, MA formerly Stoughton, MA.
As an Associate Pastor of a plant I look at the number for the Northeast, I know that its a hard road, and were in the area between Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA which was listed as the least Spiritual place this year.
Don
Dr Rainer, could you post a link to last years list so we could look at the comparison and patterns.
Thanks
Jason: in the search box, put “2013 largest churches.”
Thankful for the Gospel going forth to thousands. Praying these churches are faithful to raise up Christ crucified and the need to repent.
My brothers and sisters are those who trust Christ, whether in a 150 member church like my own or a 20,000 member church. I will rejoice and give thanks.
Love your heart, J. M.
Dr Thom–these stats are very interesting. I’ve been an armchair student of why some churches grow and others don’t since I read the Isschar Factor a long time ago. I currently attend one of the list at the 4000 plus level. The ministry team and volunteers make members and visitors feel welcome and connected so much more than the under 75 members church I attended for years. The value in a list like this is should encourage all in ministry to know the seed of Gods Word is being sown and needs are being met on a large scale as well as smaller.
Good word, Marcha.
Thom,
I would suggest you add something to this list. Show what the CP giving is for each church. I think then we would all be shocked on who is contributing and who is not!
Thanks!
Tim
Thanks Tim, but the Annual Church Profile data does not include CP giving. That information is gathered by another entity.
Dr. Rainer,
Thank you for supplying this list. As I look at this list, I see the names of many churches whose preaching, teaching, worship and missions ministries that have been a blessing to me personally and the churches and associations I have had a privilege of serving.
As you noted in your post, these churches represent 1% of SBC congregations. I wonder if you could tell us how many SBC congregations have an average worship attendance between 100-125. If we are going to see our nation significantly impacted by the Gospel, it will happen as God works in and through churches of all sizes, but, for many reasons, I believe it will happen primarily through thousands and thousands of new and revitalized smaller churches. As someone has said, “Bigger is not better. Smaller is not better. Better is better.”
I would need to do some extra data gathering, Randy. Perhaps I can get to it later.
where is the church at brook hills?
See number 4 above in my caveats.
Dr. Rainer,
Of the top 100, can you estimate a percentage of those that are multi-campus churches?
My best estimate is 60% to 70%.
Dr. Rainer –
Isn’t one of your sons a pastor of a church on this list?
Yes. My son, Sam Rainer, is pastor of Stevens Street Baptist Church in Cookeville, TN, number 372 on the list.
It’s really fascinating to the compare the list to last year’s list.
I’m wondering how NewSpring Church increased their attendance by almost 10,000 in a single year.
Increasing their number of campuses was one of the keys.
Dr. Rainer,
You say in #4…”We know that at least 37 churches of sufficient size to be on this list did not report.” Does that represent a typical number for this list in a given year, or is it higher than normal?
It is more typical of the past few years, but the non-reporting churches are certainly in greater number than they were a decade ago.
Someone asked what is the point in this list, a good question. Reading this list in England, where most people consider a couple of hundred regulars to be a large and successful church and one hundred to be good going, this list is important as it helps us see the reality of such numbers here on the one hand, but also what can be achieved on the other. This Southern Baptist denomination is hardly known for running after fads like flying off to Toronto to bring back blessings etc. so it is an encouragement to those over here who are trying to be faithful in the right things to keep doing so rather than go running around to nowhere. Thank you for putting this list online, it is a real encouragement to see.
Thank you, Paul. And thanks for joining us 4,000 miles away!
It’s interesting that by my count only 7 of the top 25 churches have the word “baptist” in their name. I’m sure there is no causality, but it is something to ponder none the less.
That is definitely a growing trend.
Dare I say that if orthodox bible teaching was the rating criteria that #1 on this list would not be anywhere close?
And your basis for that accusation is…?
Sad to see so many negative comments. Sure their are some churches that give more, to missions than others, some that do more in the community, some that baptize more than others, but we should be glad to see so many in church. It means we have people worshipping because of their love for Christ or they are people that need to know Him. To many worry about where they are on the list or where someone is. For my little church that I have been honored to serve, we way down the list. 30 in SS and 60 in worship on a good day. We struggle to make ends meet. We are in a mill village community where jobs and people have left. Most of our people live in mobile house and very small old homes, working mostly low income jobs. Many on this list give more in on 1 Sunday than we take in during the whole years, and that is find. We are all loved by God and should take what He as given each church and run with it. We need to see the plan for our church, and not worry about our neighboring churches plan. We all have lost people living around us, and we have the same number of hours as the big churches, we all have problems and challenges to face. We as a church of 60 have a problem with finding nursery workers, guess what, my brothers church where he is a deacon, has 400 deacons, 5500 in worship, and they still have problems finding nursery workers. Let be proud that we can list church and may we all follow our call, encourage each other, and pray daily for strength. Thank you Bro. Rainer for all you do. I look forward to meeting you some day. God Bless
I always look forward to meeting people like you, Reginald.
Seems to me this post is in danger of engendering pride and envy. Not helpful.
The devil can corrupt almost anything for his purposes. Dr. Rainer said he posted it because some people are interested. If you’re not interested, then don’t read it.
One thing this list does is provide peer and larger churches when are are looking for people to ask about how they manage larger numbers of people and lessons learned so maybe we don’t have to make the same mistakes and can do the same for others.
Curious? Are there any list in terms of percentages? I wonder what percentage churches are reaching within say… driving distance.
Dr. Rainer: I was a part of your D.Min cohort at SBTS (around 2000) concentrating on Evangelism and Church Growth. Although I was not able to complete my final paper I can honestly say that I learned more in those classes than I did while working on my M.Div. I’ve never been the pastor of a mega church and at the age of 60 doubt that I will ever make it (and that’s okay). I’ve pastored five churches over 25 years the largest running about 260 in worship when I left. I’ve now had the privilege to interim in 3 churches and now serve at a church that only has about 60 in worship. While I’m grateful to have been a part of NewSpring for a while, I’m also grateful to now serve in God’s church as a pastor even if it’s an interim. I’m also blessed to be serving where the Lord has planted me and I’ve found wonderful and gracious people in every church regardless of the size. Finally, I’m grateful there are men who can lead these mega churches, I would believe God has called them there just as God has called me to where I serve. Thanks for posting and thanks for your influence in my ministry. john f. huckaby
John: I thank God we crossed paths. And I am so thankful for the way God has and is using you. Size of church is not a measure of size of faithfulness.
Dr. Rainer,
Thanks, I always enjoy reading your articles.
From reading caveat #4 and several comments, it seems that we have an ever increasing problem of non-reporting churches. In the past, I worked for one of our state conventions and I led a team to use heroic measures in collecting ACP’s. What we can’t collect, we can’t count. I saw that the mood and even momentum of a state convention was effected by a “low” baptism year. We are beginning to see this each year before the June SBC as ACP stats are released and even secular media outlets join the chorus of an ever shrinking Southern Baptist Convention.
Respectfully, I would encourage our entity heads to “not” spotlight pastors from chronic non-reporting churches as key speakers in our large meetings (panels), nor seeing their books being promoted at every turn.
Blessings!
Thank you, Ron. It is indeed a challenge.
While the church I attend isn’t a member of your denominational family, I still love to read your posts. Our church is in a very rural area and our town is less than 5,000 people. However, our church, percentage wise, may be larger than some of the “large” churches. About 5% of the population of our town attend our church. There are rural churches who will never, ever make a list such as this but are extremely well attended and effective when the total population of a city is considered. Just curious – are there other criteria with which you measure growth, etc., other than head count?
Mary Ellen – Thanks so much for being a reader. Right now, worship attendance is the standard metric. I would love to see other possibilities in the future.
As the pastor of a rural SBC church in Montana, seeing this list saddens me even because of the track the SBC seems to be taking. All the NAMB money that the thousands of smaller churches give month-after-month and year-after-year is going to big cities and now we see a list of SBC churches over 1,000. Wow! I am not impressed.
Every one of my SBC colleagues here in Montana have to do the same things the pastors of the 1,000 and larger churches do. With less help and less money.
Our town’s. population 1,200. We will never hit 1,000 in our church unless God would bring a super-revival here.
Is our denomination guilty of number-counting like David? I fear that it is.
And by-the-way, I need to ask what the publishing of a list like this conveys to the many, many small churches of the SBC?
I have feared for years that the SBC smaller, rural, churches are being left behind.
Dan a super revival would not be a bad thing. Some church growth ideas: Constant emphasis on reaching lost friends, neighbors, co-workers – Find opportunities to bring to light how special the members of your church are and what it is that they do, in reaching the lost, and in reaching those that are hurting within the church, that make your church such a special place to be. This will encourage more members to get involved in outreach, which in turn gives you more opportunities to reinforce this behavior.
People move to areas where job opportunities present themselves, so you do want successful business leaders (think tent-makers) in your church. Finding ways to help those business leaders prosper, will help to facilitate this. Church members are much more likely to patronize a burger joint that is owned by one of your own members, for instance, or get their yard work done by one of your own members, if they know about them.
The list is definitely interesting – I have lots of good friends on staff at many of these churches, including my dad who is on staff at #199, and I enjoy reading this list and seeing how well my friends’ churches are doing reaching people with the gospel.
This ought to bring joy, not jealousy – satisfaction in Christ and security in doing what God has called has called us to do (and where) sets us free from such ungodly envy. Don’t blame large churches, Lifeway, or lists.
Nice point Jonathan. It should be encouraging. What if no lists, no numbers, no members, no giving statements, no conversions, nothing at all? People would begin to wonder and say, ‘What are the SBC churches hiding?’ Be thankful for big churches, be thankful for little churches, preach the gospel the work is NOT done.
Thanks so much for sharing this list. I’ve been looking for a home church for several months and see a church in my area. I’m going to visit today!
What I find most interesting is the geographical concentration of these megachurches. Below is the count of these churchs’ attendees summed by state. With the exception of CA, virtually all are in TX and the Southeast. Is this representative of our denomination’s overall concentration?
State Attendees % of Total
TX 347,806 27.32%
FL 139,575 10.96%
GA 114,805 9.02%
CA 90,922 7.14%
TN 89,239 7.01%
NC 71,950 5.65%
SC 66,296 5.21%
VA 56,420 4.43%
AL 49,567 3.89%
LA 38,002 2.98%
AR 28,940 2.27%
MS 28,909 2.27%
KY 23,825 1.87%
OK 22,918 1.80%
MO 20,617 1.62%
IL 12,504 0.98%
OH 11,947 0.94%
NM 11,305 0.89%
KS 9,516 0.75%
NV 5,894 0.46%
AZ 4,498 0.35%
PA 4,494 0.35%
IA 3,958 0.31%
MD 2,892 0.23%
NE 2,626 0.21%
NY 2,464 0.19%
PR 2,400 0.19%
IN 2,387 0.19%
CO 1,643 0.13%
WI 1,590 0.12%
WA 1,200 0.09%
MI 1,065 0.08%
MT 1,065 0.08%
Totals 1,273,239 100.00%
Great work, Kevin!
Well it is the Southern Baptist Convention, so yeah, kinda congregate in the South.
I’d be more interested in the denomination mode and mean attendance.
Something that would help those in rural areas, such as Reginald and Dan, is attendance as a percentage of either state population, county population, Census Tract Area, or incorporated area.
Would Dan be surprised is his Baptist Church was on the top of the list, as percentage of the incorporated area?
Related to Reginald’s woes, what if the county is losing people at the rate of 10% per year, but the church is losing members at 5% per year. How many people would congratulate the pastor for growing the church during a very difficult period of time?
I am assuming that the database contains both current and historic census data, and just a couple of SQL statements will spit out the appropriate percentage of population.
Thom,
Thanks for all that you do. Some folks need to chill and realize this is purely for informational purpose. I am not a fan of the “mega churches”, as I don’t see too many examples in scripture of them and it seems that a shepherd can only tend so many sheep effectively. However, if they are diligent in following up for discipleship and getting folks plugged in I imagine they are ok. Isnt it all about seeing folks saved, discipled, serving and maturing until the end anyway ?
Thanks for a reasoned response, Ron.
As a deacon of one of these churches, i am concerned that 99% of the SBC attendees? or is it members? attend one of these churches, but the total worshippers is listed in Kevins table is 1,273,239, in a denomination that claims to be the largest at over 16MM members. Especially since i am suspect of some of the estimations (including our own); i havent seen very many UNDER-estimations.
Ted: 99% of the churches, not 99% of the members or attenders.
I see I misread that. Sure am glad. Thanks Dr. Rainer.
Dr Rainer,
Thanks for the info it’s interesting to me–I do think we have a lot of work to do in the New England area! I work at a church on this list and have worked at other churches in my previous years not on the list. I appreciate the work and effort you and your team put into this each year. If it bothers some to see it—then they shouldn’t read it but don’t try and come up with some hypo-spiritual concern.
It’s just information—I liked it when I was at a church of 400 and when I was at my former church that was 600.
Good work my friend!!!
Thank you, Jody!
Thank you Thom. I enjoyed looking over the list. I appreciate you publishing it.
Thanks Todd.
Given all your caveats, what’s the use of this information?
Always interesting to read the list. I am curious, do you know how many of these are newer churches, say 15 years old or less? And how many are historic churches, say 100 years old or more? Or some other ages if those ones seem arbitrary? That would also be an interesting article.
I find it funny that C3 Church is # 103.
I would like to see the total numbers listed for each campus as opposed to combining them since they are in essence separate churches
thanks
jc
I agree, John. I recently moved from Dallas to Nashville and started looking for a new church home. My wife and I attended First Baptist Dallas, so we were looking for something similar in terms of size (3,426 members according to the list) and outreach. We decided to try Brentwood Baptist (reported to have 5,510 members). While this was by no means a small church, it wasn’t nearly as large as the reported membership led me to believe. As it turns out, there are 4 or 5 different campuses rolled into this total, and I’m guessing there are quite a few churches near the top whose total membership is determined the same way. Interesting.
These is quiet encouraging for me specifically pastoring in a village. I have come to understand that it is not the size of the church that matters but the purpose and the mandate that Jesus give to that local church in its community and the nation.
In the nation of Swaziland (Africa) of which is where I am, we have seen people more hungry for the hands of God than the heart of the Father. In other words for God to do something than for them to have a personal relationship with God the Father.
However, since in the local church, we have decided to introduce descipleship, the whole mindset has changed, and the church is growing both spiritually and numerically. Having said that it is indeed encouraging to see what is the Lord doing in other parts of the world.
Thank you for such an eye-opener, lets keep sharing the goodnes and fulfiling Matthew 28 : 19-20 as our Lord has charged us.
Greater things are yet to come, the best is yet to come
Blessings
Hello,
I am hoping you can point me in the right direction. I am a Southern Baptist currently seeking a doctorate in Psychology. If possible, I would like to use the Southern Baptist Convention as my population to conduct a research project.
Do you know who I can contact to discuss my dissertation and seek permission?
Thank you,
Suzan Davis
Member First Baptist Church
Celina, Texas
David asked, way back in July, why you publish this list. I’d like to add my 2 cents. I am just a simple layperson. My pastor has asked for my participation to help rebuild our church. He recommeneded our team check out your Dr. Rainer’s blog. I have found many articles helpful, this list very helpful. I am blissfully unaware of other churches across the nation (except for the ones we visit on mission trips). This list has allowed me to check out statistically how many churches have kept/lost the term “Baptist” in their name. It has given me the names of churches so that I can check out their websites and all the things they are doing that we can grow to do someday (if that is what God desires, natch). Not everyone is fully informed all all activities of life as a Southern Baptist, and that’s ok (I’m loving all the fun of researching and seeking God’s Will for our church, but I haven’t spent my life as a Southern Baptist concerned with other SBC churches/political drama etc…) and this list (as well as the rest of the blog…still reading those things) is helping me grow as a leader. Thanks for all the info.
Thanks, Barbara. Glad to have you as a reader of ThomRainer.com.
Where can I get some stat’s on a church that is NOT listed on this data?
Thanks.
Is there a 2015 update to this list?
I was wondering if First Baptist of Oviedo now called CrossLife is still associated with SBC?
I would love to have a spreadsheet showing more parameters, such as average attendance, total members on roll, contributions to the CP, baptisms in 2014, memberships added in 2014, etc. This would allow sorting in Excel and easier comparison of the stats.
I am interested in knowing when the SBC 500 list for 2015 data will be released. Thank you.
This is lists a great list for churches to see where the strongest areas are. It’s not bragging, it’s not counting chickens before they hatch, or whatever. Benefits?
1. What if you’re moving for work or a new spot in life? Need to find a church. Or a friend needs a church that has moved out of contact.
2. What if you’re traveling and want to attend a like minded church?
3. What if you’re seeking support for your ministry?
4. You can see where there ARE churches and go else where like the Northeast or Northwest for church planting, evangelism, revitalization?
Many more good reasons for a list like this. I like it. Even if you’re a rural church, it’s still helpful, KNOW YOUR CONTEXT.
I know this list is several years old by now (I think the latest thing posted on this topic was a 2015 podcast) and I don’t mean to be uncharitable, but I have a question about Convention affiliation and LifeWay standards in connection to #8 on this list: Elevate Church and their pastor, Steven Furtick. Why are this church and pastor not held accountable by their local association, or state and national conventions, and why does LifeWay continue to publish, market, and sell Furtick’s material? The church’s increasingly cult-like devotion to Furtick — which he does nothing to dissuade — is creepy. And given his, by now, well-documented, questionable teaching and associations, why would LifeWay continue to associate with him; even if what these particular books and study materials teach is either sound or innocuous, why give him legitimacy when his teaching at his church is so unsound? (Although it has nothing to do with this list, I also wonder why LifeWay continues to carry and promote the “Jesus Calling” franchise, but I won’t ask that here.)
There is no Riverbend Baptist Church in Austin. That church abandoned the SBC because they hold views that are opposed to the views of the SBC.
Hello, Thom, Do you have an update on this list? I found the 2015 update but don’t see any newer ones. Thanks!
Hello,
I cant stop to wonder how much this numbers have change since the calvinism storm started 2 years ago to today at the SBC.
Do you have a new list?
Thanks.