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A megachurch is a large church, having around 2,000 or more worshipers for a typical weekly service.^[1][2]

Globally, these large congregations are a significant development in Protestant Christianity. While generally associated with the United States, the phenomenon has spread worldwide; as of 2007, five of the ten largest Protestant churches are in South Korea.^[3] Most megachurches tend to be evangelical or Pentecostal, and are often semi-independent from the major Christian denominations.

This short section requires expansion.

The megachurch movement, with a large number of local congregants who return on a weekly basis, is usually thought to have begun in the 1950s.^{[citation needed]} There have been large churches earlier in history, but they were considerably rarer. The church of Jerusalem in Acts, "where 3000 were added", is thought by some to be the first recorded large church. Other rare examples include Charles Spurgeon's Baptist Metropolitan Tabernacle in London which attracted 5,000 weekly for years in the late 1800s, and religious broadcaster Aimee Semple McPherson's Angelus Temple in Los Angeles which was similarly large.

The current largest megachurch in the world is the Yoido Full Gospel Church, with 830,000 members as of 2007.^[3]

Within the United States, more than half of these large church institutions are non-denominational churches; those that have ties to a larger body are most often members of the Southern Baptist denomination, which accounts for perhaps one in five megachurches. The Assemblies of God claim approximately one in ten. Another one-tenth of the churches with congregations large enough to be included in the class are associated with historically African American^{[citation needed]} denominations, such as African Methodist Episcopal, (A.M.E.), and the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). Denominational megachurches generally have more in common with other megachurches than they do with smaller churches within their own denomination.

The City Harvest Church, Singapore's massive building cost S$48 million (US$26.6 million). It is the first titanium-clad building in Asia and is modeled after the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Special limestone for part of the building was imported from Europe.^{[citation needed]}

The exception to this rule is found in church movements begun by megachurches, like City Harvest Church, Christian City Churches or Hillsong Church. Churches in these movements tend to fit the megachurch classification while remaining very similar to other churches in the movement, maintaining a similar appearance, logo, worship style and vision.

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Coping with the large numbers of people who attend them requires many adjustments.

Worship in some megachurches tends to be formal in practice, though untraditional in tone. Megachurches typically use modern, upbeat praise music in a number of pop styles instead of traditional hymns. Despite the contemporary music, worship at a megachurch is a highly structured occasion. Due to organizational considerations, the service becomes actually a large scale production in minute detail.

The immense architecture of the megachurch requires that the entire congregation can see and hear. Large open spaces allow line of sight to elaborate video presentations and projections. To overcome the limits of acoustics, sound is amplified, with large PA systems and mixing desks. Words to hymns and songs are projected on screens, reducing reliance on the hymnals found in the pews of more traditional churches. Many newer churches use theater-style individual chairs instead of pews.

The need for large parking lots to accommodate worshipers has often led these churches to be located on the outskirts of large cities, on tracts encompassing multiple acres. A recent trend shows megachurches may have one or more "satellite" locations away from the main church, which will have a small local staff. However, the main message is presented by the senior pastor via video presentation. This is referred to as the multi-site movement.

The ministry of these churches must also be adjusted for size. Much of the actual teaching work of the church is handled by committees and smaller meetings outside the weekly services themselves, which are almost exclusively meant for collective (sometimes enthusiastic) worship, with relatively few people engaged in up-front roles. Congregational oversight is generally limited to an annual meeting (where a budget and "board of directors" is approved); in some cases, the senior pastor has complete authority over all decisions.

Many were launched by a single gifted pastor, a person who combines engaging sermons with the organizational skills needed to facilitate a large scale weekly service and manage the team who runs it. To complement the large-scale sermons, some churches supplement this strongly with smaller independent groups (called "cell churches" by some, notably David Yonggi Cho). There is potential for an element of a cult of personality within some of these megachurches, which can lead to divisions and organizational difficulties if the founder retires, dies, or resigns; in a few highly publicized cases, under clouds of suspicion. Some megachurches have been able to weather these difficulties (Lakewood Church, the largest Megachurch in America, survived the death of its founder); others have failed (when Robert Tilton left under a cloud of suspicion, his church folded shortly thereafter).

See also: McChurch

The most common criticism of megachurches is that they draw members away from smaller churches. This has led some to use the term "big box churches". However, the vast majority of North American church-goers attend small churches of fewer than 200.^{[citation needed]}

Critics of megachurches claim that such churches are more concerned with entertainment than religion,^[4] earning them the nickname "Disney Church".^[2] Rev. Al Sharpton has claimed that such churches focus on personal morality issues while ignoring social justice.^[5] Certain megachurches are however highly involved both in their community and in overseas mission.

An illustration of the divergence from evangelicalism and pentecostalism that occurred recently was the failure of a number of US megachurches to hold worship services on Christmas Day in 2005 where it fell on a Sunday. However, many of these churches preferred to hold a service on Christmas Eve, out of consideration for their volunteer team, so they were able to spend Christmas Day celebrating with their family and friends.^[6]

Critics have raised issues with the application of secular business models,^[7] e.g., from Wal-Mart, a humanist or seeker-friendly approach, intensive market research and heavy reliance upon opinion polls, polished advertising targeted at affluent young professionals, unconventional worship styles, and Eastern influences.

Another criticism falls along cultural lines, including the fact that many megachurches are located in the United States. (Although it should be noted that the majority of megachurches are found in Asia and Africa.) For example, in a December 2005 issue of The Economist, a British reporter who visited Willow Creek church suggested that megachurches reflected U.S. trends Europeans consider negative, such as urban sprawl and the proliferation of McMansions.^[8]

The "seeker-friendly" movement has been the subject of much debate. Those who criticize these churches assert that they are more interested in, and catering to, people's (often self-centered) "wants" rather than their real "need," that of Jesus Christ. Ingrid Schlueter, a Christian radio host has said, "Of all the trends I've observed, the explosion of the "seeker"-centered megachurches is one of the most disturbing," citing the extensive use of entertainment and performance in church services.

• Thumma, Scott and Dave Travis (August 2007) Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches. Published by Jossey-Bass and Leadership Network. ISBN 978-0-7879-9467-9
• Thumma, Scott; Dave Travis & Warren Bird (February 2006) "Megachurches Today 2005: Summary of Research Findings". Hartford Institute for Religious Research. Hartford Seminary, Hartford Connecticut.
• Thumma, Scott (March 2001) "Megachurches Today 2000: Summary of Research Findings. Hartford Institute for Religious Research. Hartford Seminary, Hartford Connecticut.
• Thumma, Scott (February 2006) Overview of megachurches in the United States. Hartford Institute for Religious Research. Hartford Seminary, Hartford Connecticut.
• Thumma, Scott. (1996) Exploring the Megachurch Phenomenon, excerpts from Doctoral Dissertation entitled "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: Megachurches in Modern American Society." Emory University
• Kelly, Joyce and Michael Conlon. (November 22, 2005) "'megachurches' draw big crowds", Reuters (accessed 22 November 2005)
• Thumma, Scott (February 2006) Overview of megachurches in the United States. Hartford Institute for Religious Research
• Database of Megachurches in the U.S. Maintained by Hartford Institute for Religion Research, updated regularly
• Church Growth Today research center run by John Vaughan
• "An anatomy of megachurches: The new look for places of worship", Slate, October 10, 2005
• Interview with Gary Bryson: "It’s A God thing: The rise of the megachurch", ABC Local Radio, 24 April 2005
• Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life: "Myths of the modern megachurch", Pew Research Center event transcript of conference speakers, including Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, and New York Times columnist David Brooks, May 23, 2005
• Luisa Kroll, "Megachurches, megabusinesses", Forbes, September 19, 2003