megachurch

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Crystal Cathedral

A megachurch is a large church, generally defined as having 2,000 or more worshippers for a typical weekly service.^[1][2] Many are associated with the Church Growth style of Evangelical Christianity.

Criticism

Critics of megachurches claim such churches are more concerned with entertainment than religion.^[3] Rev. Al Sharpton has claimed that such churches focus on personal morality issues while ignoring social justice.^[4]

An illustration of the divergence from evangelicalism and pentecostalism that occurred recently was the failure of a number of U.S. 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, as they discovered that it was more convenient for the people as they were able to spend Christmas Day celebrating with their family and friends.^[5]

Critics have raised issues with the application of secular business models,^[6] 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. For example, in a December 2005 issue of The Economist, a British reporter who visited Willow Creek Church suggested megachurches reflected U.S. trends Europeans consider negative, such as urban sprawl and the proliferation of McMansions.^[7]

References

External links

• Kelly, Joyce and Michael Conlon, "Megachurches draw big crowds", Reuters, November 22, 2005, (accessed 22 November 2005)
• Database of Megachurches in the United States, Hartford Institute for Religion Research

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