The Top 10 Churches in the World

The Top 10 Churches in the World
by Wolfgang Simson

Agreed: influence in today´s world is far more important than size.
However, looking at the number of people attending some of the world´s largest churches in the year 2004 gives us an understanding of where we are going in the future. Many things are changing: Churches, that have had 300.000 attenders 10 years ago, like the once famous cinema-church "Ondas del Luz y Amor" in Buenos Aires, are almost gone. Completely new models are emerging, like in India´s city Allahabad, where, on Sunday, a University simply changes into a church, with up to 80.000 people attending weekly.

Membership figures are changing strongly, and active participation can be more acurately measured by attendance - "voting with our feet" - than being a name on a membership roll. Yonggi Chos church in Seoul, for example, speaks of 773.000 members, but "only" 253.000 do actually attend the services in the main church and the Seoul satellite churches.

But one of the emerging trends is that clearly "Church" is getting defined in a very different way than we used to. It moves from a denominationally organized setup to organic regionality, from pastoral leadership to apostolic networks, from leaders to elders or parents. Church is no longer just a single organized "Church" with a Senior pastor, a building with a steeple and a programme, but more the organic fellowship and community of Christians in a City or Region - as in NT times. The Body then is the sum total of all members of the interconnected housechurches, cells, groups and interdependent churches. Leadership is no any longer happening through one Senior Pastor, but through regional teams, often functioning acording to apostolic patterns. Connectedness happens through our belonging to Christ and a earthly home: our common region or city. Unity is practically expressed in housechurches that are linked together as well as large Celebrations, or at least regional leadership meeings in areas, where the church is being watched or persecuted. A comparatively small housechurch network in an area in China, for example, would count 400.000 attenders, large ones several millions. The 10 largest regional (not national!) housechurch networks in China, Vietnam or North-India would completely change the list below.

Rank Pastor Church
average attenders

1. Yonggi Cho Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, Korea
253.000
2. Javier Vasquez Yotabeche Methodist P. Church, Santiago,
Chile 150.000
3. William Kumuyi Deeper Life Bible Church, Lagos, Nigeria
120.000
4. Mario Vega Elim Church, San Salvador, El Salvador
117,000
5. Cesar Castellanos Mision Carismatica Internacional,
Bogota, Kolumbien 90.000
6. Omar Cabrera Vision de Futuro, Santa Fe, Argentinien
70.000
7. Pastor Oh Young Nak Presbyterian Church, S.Korea
60.000
8. David Oyedepa Winners Chapel, Ota, Nigeria
50.000
9. R.B. Lal Yesu Darbar, Allahabad Agricultural
Institute, Indien 40.000
10. V. Choudhrie Chattisgarh/MPradesh Housechurchnet, Indien
30.000

Comments

[danz]

indonesia church such as "keluaga allah" is also the fastest groeing church!

[danz]

indonesia church such as "keluaga allah" is also the fastest growing church!

[Billy]

The line-up of the world largest church is a testimony of what God is doing now and it is marvelous. I need to update you a bit as concerning the churches in my country Nigeria.

1. Pastor E.A Adeboye- The Redeemed Christian Church,
Lagos,Nigeria
(largest membership in Nigeria/Africa over 1 million members)

2. William Kumuyi Deeper Life Bible Church, Lagos,
Nigeria ( Over 400,000 members)

3. Bishop Mike Okonkwo - The Redeemed Evangelical
Mission(TREM), Lagos, Nigeria
(Over 200,000 members)

4. Bishop David Oyedepa Winners Chapel, Ota, Nigeria
(over 100,000 members)

[Billy]

You can contact me via my email for further input

[Charles Stanley]

I am surprised to find this on the simplychurch website. Are we to assume bigger is better? Does "fast-growing" mean the church is doing what God wants? The Mormons are "fast growing" - shall we all convert?

Here's what Barna says:
The fastest growing religion (in terms of percentage) is Wicca -- a Neopagan religion that is sometimes referred to as Witchcraft. Numbers of adherents went from 8,000 in 1990 to 134,000 in 2001. Their numbers of adherents are doubling about every 30 months. 4,5 Wiccans in Australia have a very similar growth pattern, from fewer than 2,000 in 1996 to 9,000 in 2001. 10 In Canada, Wiccans and other Neopagans showed the greatest percentage growth of any faith group. They totaled 21,080 members in 1991, an increase of 281% when compared with 1990.

What is the seduction of big numbers? The trinity has only 3 members. Jesus said "wherever 2 or 3 gather in my name... there am I." What's wrong with 3? Why is anything more necessary?

Big numbers mean nothing but big numbers. They are neutral. They mean nothing. Maybe some large churches can live up to what small house churches are doing. But I think it would be rare. LArge churches create too many levels of involvement, and are almost always run by staff.

I have been in and out of small groups and the institutional church (small and large)- and house churches are responding to the heart cry of many many people. Being a large churches with (or of) small groups is not enough - there are still too many levels, too much politics. Level-ism in the church is division. Jesus wants a level-less church. He wants a body he can inhabit.

Go small - and trust in Christ - he is real and you will find him present when you gather. Once you do, you'll never want to go big again.

[Samuel Mwakasungula]

Dear sir,
I am interesting with your ministry, I would very happy if you are going to help some materials concerning with you faith.I look forward to hear from you as soon as possible.
God bless you.

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[baluku willfred]

iam augandan pastor best in kampala city preaching the gospel to the nation.

[Kaidyn Lekisch]

I love god!!!!
he's so great
lets just be catholic and forget about the rest of the religions.
also church is for uncool people
yaaayyyy

[Paul David]

thanks for your good info.
God bless you

[chikwado chukwude]

the issue is not the number of memebership that counts is the number of those who approach God,from thier heart,"not all that call him lord or all that attend church are really what matter please let saprete politic from Gods vision for us

[Suwandi Yesaya]

Can I know for 2008, who are the world´s largest churches?

As I know, Tiberias (www.tiberias.or.id) at 7 position when on 2007.

Thanks.

[erick]

hey mision carismatica international has like 500,000 attenders in colombia :D we are growing