ARE MEGA-CHURCHES BIBLICAL?
Key Facts
A Mega-Church is defined as a Christian congregation with a sustained average weekly attendance of 2000 persons or more in its worship services, counting all adults and children at all its worship locations. [1]
Only California (219) has more megachurches than the 207 in Texas. And Houston alone has 37, including the country’s largest congregation at the Lakewood Church, where pastor superstar Joel Osteen preaches. Lakewood brings in an average of just under 44,000 people each weekend at its various services. [2]
Mega-Churches are found in over 75 countries, including small-population countries like Fiji and Latvia. [3]
Key Scriptures
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
1 Corinthians 16:19 “Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.”
Acts 8:3 “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.”
Ephesians 4:11-12 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
Acts 2:41 "So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls."
Application
Mega-churches are one way in which Christian leaders have attempted to accommodate large numbers of worshipers and spectators gathering each weekend. Their presence has raised many questions as to the correct way to host and attend church in a modern context. To address whether mega-churches fulfill the biblical expectations of the church, we must first examine what the purpose of the church is.
What is the Purpose of the Church?
The biblical authors use the word ‘church’ in two different ways. One use of the word church describes the local gathering while another use describes the whole body of believers. The local church carries out specific functions whereas the universal church is compiled of all the believers around the world. Whether mega-churches are biblical is a question for the local church. Concerning the local church, the biblical commands relate to purpose, not size.
One purpose of the church is to equip believers to act in accordance with the Scripture and spread the good news to all the nations. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) records Jesus calling all believers to make disciples, baptize, and teach in all nations and spread the gospel throughout the earth. The practice of each of these commands should be evident in the church.
The local and the universal church are to worship God. John 4:23 reveals that true worshippers of God worship in spirit and in truth. This concept of worship is partially fulfilled in community with other believers.
Another key purpose of the church is to study God’s Word and pray. In Acts 2:42, the early church members devoted themselves to learning the apostle’s teachings and praying. These two practices are crucial to the growth of the church as well as the growth of the individual believer.
Christian churches are to be visible to those around them with their love for one another. Matthew 5:14-16 shows that Christian churches are to function as a light, a city on a hill. John 13:35 clarifies how Christians churches are to be distinctive and known as followers of Jesus—by their love for one another. The love Christians have for one another is how they will shine as a light to the world. This love should carry over into every aspect of life—it is not just to be practiced on Sunday. The believers in Acts 4 demonstrate this practical love when they all shared their possessions and cared for one another. It is recorded that none of them had need because they all fulfilled the needs of one another. Such care extended beyond one day of tithing and kindness; their love exemplified their concern for the wellbeing of others every day.
The local church is also responsible for obedience in conducting Communion (1 Cor. 11:24) as well as carrying out the baptism of new believers (Matt. 28:19). Baptism should be performed by church members to show the world the cleansing of the new believer and their new life in Jesus. Concerning Communion, Christians are called to partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Each local church body should be fulfilling this command on a regular basis. Practicing baptism and Communion are a necessary outpouring of a healthy and functioning church body.
Do Mega-Churches Fulfill that Purpose?
While the Bible may often record the common meetings of Christians as house churches, that does not mean that mega-churches are inherently wrong. For instance, the church formed in Jerusalem following Pentecost initially had over three thousand converts (Acts 2:41) with greater numbers being added daily (Acts 2:47). The Bible never requires or limits church services to a specific number. Therefore, it is better to address the concern of whether churches of such a large size are effective in fulfilling their biblical purpose.
On one hand, the mega-churches are likely to struggle with fellowship and accountability. Due to their size, it is often easy for an individual to be in attendance for years without connecting to anyone else within the church. Circumstances such as that reveal a point of adversity that many large churches struggle with. Larger churches have worked to counteract this problem by the implementation of mandatory small groups for members of the congregation. These small groups can give the individual believer the ability to connect with other Christians, practically love others, and help ensure that Christians are not misunderstanding major theological issues.
On the other hand, mega-churches can benefit from their large size. Mega-churches often have more resources to do outreach and to spread the gospel message more widely. Whereas a small church may struggle to accomplish one semi-local mission trip a year, mega-churches often have the ability to support multiple overseas mission groups. They can also gain more access to resources for study and well-educated Christian pastors and teachers. These resources can help develop the church body and equip them to share the gospel more effectively. In addition, mega-churches often have positions within the church that allow people with different giftings to be in full-time ministry positions. For example, while in a small church, it is unlikely that they may ever have an accountant or a social media manager on payroll, mega-churches usually do have positions for those individuals. Mega-churches often hire people to use giftings that may not warrant paid positions in a smaller church.
Conclusion
The local church is called to exist for a purpose. It is of biblical concern to address whether our local gatherings are fulfilling their purpose. While size can be a challenge (whether too big or too small), the more important concern of the church leaders should be effectiveness and fulfillment of purpose. Mega-churches are not unbiblical in and of themselves. Mega-churches can be a great example of a biblical church body. The Bible never demands or expects a certain size for a gathering. However, it is crucial, no matter the size of the church, to examine its obedience to the biblical commands.