What is a "MEGA CHURCH"?

[Curious_Seed]

What is a “MEGA CHURCH”?

If it’s based on total membership size or adherents … the Catholic Church is bigger… If it’s based on the number of parishioners per parish (Church)… got you beat… If it comes down to the church building, square footage… got yah beat. The Catholic Church therefore, must be a “Super-Super-Super-Mega Church”.
Why is the term “MEGA CHURCH” only applied to protestant churches… Isn’t this misleading?

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church is, with over a billion members, by far the world’s largest Christian Church and the first Christian and only Christian religion on earth, with all others having the distinction of being “Christian denominations” or those that came after, or broke from the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church has 2,900+ Catholic Dioceses, in hundreds of countries worldwide, with nearly 18,000 parishes and 1.18 Billion Catholics worldwide… 5,002 Bishops, 410,593 Priests, 38,155 and Permanent Deacons and 729,371 Catholic women’s order’s members. The Knights of Columbus has 1.8 million members and 15,000 councils…
I’m leaving out a lot of Catholic groups here but you get the point…
So, what is a “MEGA CHURCH”?

So, really… what is a “MEGA CHURCH”? Is this a misleading term?

Your Thoughts?

MEGA Church is an appropriate term for any single building holding an attendance of tens of thousands weekly for services, not including “partnership” attendance via the internet and television to the same services.

Some of the Protestant MEGA Churches have attendance of fifteen, twenty, and thirty thousand attendees per service, per building, in the United States, and fifty, seventy-five, and one hundred thousand attendees, per service, per building, in South Korea.

That is MEGA, by any standards.

The Catholic Church may have similar numbers, per church building or cathedral, in regular attendance.

Outside of Rome, do they?

So no, MEGA is not misleading when applied to some Protestant churches; although needing to apply the term exclusively to worldwide attendance might be.

If that be the definition, then there are many MEGAs : Hindu, Islamic, Confucian, Catholic, Protestant, and on and on, where multiple millions are members of each.

Besides, are you not glad of the Protestant MEGA Churches, but for the preference that they be Catholic?

Or would you prefer they not exist, if not Catholic?

 

[Maryann_C]

I had to wrap my head around the fact that Catholic priests only stay at a certain parish for a few years and then they get transferred to other ones, so that one is almost forced to have one’s faith centered on Christ rather than the pastor.:

Isn’t that Awesome - go figure if only everyone could get that picture of the Church.

S

ome of the Protestant MEGA Churches have attendance of fifteen, twenty, and thirty thousand attendees per service, per building, in the United States, and fifty, seventy-five, and one hundred thousand attendees, per service, per building, in South Korea.

I would hate to get out of that parking lot after service!!

 

[Maryann_C]

"Our studies and readings of worship and the congregational life of Catholic Churches has not convinced us that most very large catholic churches really function like the Protestant megachurches. There are a few that we have come across that do, but most don’t have strong charismatic senior ministers, many associate pastors, large staff, robust congregational identity that empowers 100’s to 1000’s of weekly volunteers, an identity that draws people from a very large area (sometimes an hour or more) and across parish boundaries, a multitude of programs and ministries organized and maintained by members, high levels of commitment and giving by members, seven-day-a-week activities at the church, contemporary worship, state of the art sound and projection systems, auxiliary support systems such as bookstores, coffee shops, etc. huge campuses of 30-100 acres, and other common megachurch characteristics. "

OK with the exception of the "many associate pastors ,sound system and the retail outlet (really in God’s house WWJT?) " comment, this sounds like my local parish. By “charismatic” do they mean a preacher that does one hour long sermons, quotes more than 3 Bible verses per sermon, shouts, says “give God some praise”, “watch this” or “Amen” and raises their hands , or one that all of a sudden ‘babbles’ intermittently, jumps around alot and sweats profusely? To me ‘charismatic’ is a relative term…just like Mega Church.

 

[GKC]

"Our studies and readings of worship and the congregational life of Catholic Churches has not convinced us that most very large catholic churches really function like the Protestant megachurches. There are a few that we have come across that do, but most don’t have strong charismatic senior ministers, many associate pastors, large staff, robust congregational identity that empowers 100’s to 1000’s of weekly volunteers, an identity that draws people from a very large area (sometimes an hour or more) and across parish boundaries, a multitude of programs and ministries organized and maintained by members, high levels of commitment and giving by members, seven-day-a-week activities at the church, contemporary worship, state of the art sound and projection systems, auxiliary support systems such as bookstores, coffee shops, etc. huge campuses of 30-100 acres, and other common megachurch characteristics. "

OK with the exception of the "many associate pastors ,sound system and the retail outlet (really in God’s house WWJT?) " comment, this sounds like my local parish. By “charismatic” do they mean a preacher that does one hour long sermons, quotes more than 3 Bible verses per sermon, shouts, says “give God some praise”, “watch this” or “Amen” and raises their hands , or one that all of a sudden ‘babbles’ intermittently, jumps around alot and sweats profusely? To me ‘charismatic’ is a relative term…just like Mega Church.

I well recall the books/gift shop in the main downtown RC church locally, back when I was in college. Got some of my books there.

GKC

 

[Maryann_C]

God willing, I will be baptized next year and be part of the HUGE Catholic Church.

Halleluiah, God be praised.

 

[ltwin]

By “charismatic” do they mean a preacher that does one hour long sermons, quotes more than 3 Bible verses per sermon, shouts, says “give God some praise”, “watch this” or “Amen” and raises their hands , or one that all of a sudden ‘babbles’ intermittently, jumps around alot and sweats profusely? To me ‘charismatic’ is a relative term…just like Mega Church.

I think by “strong charismatic senior ministers” they are referring to churches which are defined by one man: Joel Osteen’s church, Jenetzen Franklin’s church, etc. Lots of mega churches are pastored by extremely “charismatic” (in the sense of personality not theology) individuals that are central to the success of the mega church.

 

[robwar]

The “Mega church” is by and large what turned me off to Christianity. I viewed it as being religion for sale and “faith” for profit. The ten cent sermons given were largely based on personal opinion and whatever suited their personal agenda or furthered their snake oil greasy antics. I was honestly seeking answers and got loose interpretations but if I wanted the whole enchilada I could buy their book for $9.95.
I call them McChurches. I saw a McChurch preacher take a hammer to a statue of the Blessed Mother and proceed to break her head and knocked Jesus’ head off of the crucifix the Blessed Mother was holding. This preacher laughed and so did the congregation. I am a Muslim and I was offended. I make no apologies for my dislike of these McChurches. There is only one place I got answers and that has been the Catholic Church. I make distinction between a Mega McChurch where some blow hard says if he doesn’t get millions of dollars then God will strike him down.( Personally, I would have given a fresh pack of Big Red to have seen it happen.) And the Mega church that actually may honestly minister to its congregation and do good works. God willing, I will be baptized next year and be part of the HUGE Catholic Church.

God bless you. always focus on the real thing and that’s the Catholic Church! I guess you can say “Where’s the beef?” They may have the bun and all the carbs that you with it but as you see, there is no beef.

 

[PatriceA]

When you get to the ecclesial communities people call mega-churches, you are often discussing one with a huge congregation, massive facilities, and led by a charismatic preacher. Though they don’t approach the size of the entire Church, they are much larger than the standard parish. In my area, one of the mega-churches claims a membership of over 25,000 people.

.

That’s the way I’ve always looked at the mega churches near us. They may not be as large as the whole Catholic Church, but the size of their congregations far out number the largest parish in the diocese I reside in.

 

[Curious_Seed]

God bless you. always focus on the real thing and that’s the Catholic Church! I guess you can say “Where’s the beef?” They may have the bun and all the carbs that you with it but as you see, there is no beef.

The centrality of the MEGA Protestant Churches is Jesus - not the Sacraments, not Tradition, and not the Magisterium.

Though Catholics may view failure to embrace beyond Jesus as failure to receive fullness of the Faith, to intimate - as you have - that focusing exclusively on Jesus, as those churches do, is tantamount to bun and carbs, without the beef, is disappointing and uncharitable.

If fullness of the Faith leads Catholics to view their Christian brothers and sisters so simply, then that fullness of the Faith is noteworthy only for its arrogance.

Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI called and call for a New Evangelization. An evangelization directed toward Catholics, by Catholics, for a return to understanding core values.

May I suggest you catch the next lesson: Focusing on Jesus is the beef !

 

[LegoGE1947]

When I lived in a much larger city and was still an evangelical I remember several mainline Protestant churches in a certain section of town complaining thier memberships were dwindling because the local “mega-church” was stealing sheep.
And they had a right to complain.
These tiny Protestant mainline churches could not afford a “million dollar sound system” nor the “hottest acts in town” with “closed circut TV” and internet streaming.
I knew these men. They served God in the best way possible, they taught the Bible, they served their people. They had a modest choir with a piano and organ, they were not on TV with thier “dynamic preaching”, they taught the Word as best they could. The choir sang the best they could.
I felt so sorry for these men, they watched thier young people leave even though they had a youth group. They watched thier older people hang on as best they could until one day the doors closed.
Sorry if I am a little cynical about “mega-churches”, I have seen first hand the type of damage done by them.
Even though I am Catholic now, I feel these tiny mainline churches were serving God in a far greater way than some smoke and mirrors mega-Churches. What did Paul call them? Clanging cymbals?
If I were Protestant again (and there is little chance of that), give me a tiny church with a modest choir, a old piano and an honest pastor anyday over these overblown entertainment centers.

That seems to be the way Mega-Churches get their members. Not by evangelizing the un-churched but stealing members from other churches or ecclesial groups. I’ve seen the damage also inflicted by Mega-Maniac Churches. Clanging cymbals is a very appropo term!

 

[Maryann_C]

The centrality of the MEGA Protestant Churches is Jesus - not the Sacraments, not Tradition, and not the Magisterium.

Though Catholics may view failure to embrace beyond Jesus as failure to receive fullness of the Faith, to intimate - as you have - that focusing exclusively on Jesus, as those churches do, is tantamount to bun and carbs, without the beef, is disappointing and uncharitable.

If fullness of the Faith leads Catholics to view their Christian brothers and sisters so simply, then that fullness of the Faith is noteworthy only for its arrogance.

Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI called and call for a New Evangelization. An evangelization directed toward Catholics, by Catholics, for a return to understanding core values.

May I suggest you catch the next lesson: Focusing on Jesus is the beef !

I assume you are a Bible Believing Christian then?

 

[Maryann_C]

That seems to be the way Mega-Churches get their members. Not by evangelizing the un-churched but stealing members from other churches or ecclesial groups. I’ve seen the damage also inflicted by Mega-Maniac Churches. Clanging cymbals is a very appropo term!

In all honestly by the titles ( Crazy Love, Not a Fan etc) I see coming into the ‘non-denominational’ Christian book store that I work at , and the hype that goes with them I believe there is push back and a call for the ‘good ol time gospel music’ days. They are realising that they have gone OTT on the entertainment side of things. Reading things like Not A Fan are a quick read and very insightful on their thought processes.

 

[ltwin]

That seems to be the way Mega-Churches get their members. Not by evangelizing the un-churched but stealing members from other churches or ecclesial groups. I’ve seen the damage also inflicted by Mega-Maniac Churches. Clanging cymbals is a very appropo term!

That seems to be a very uncharitable over generalization. Sure there probably is a lot of “transfer growth” between churches, but that works both ways. There are people who get disillusioned with large mega churches, and they start attending small churches. There are evangelicals turned Catholic and Catholics turned evangelical. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. However, most mega churches do not use resources to draw church goers away from other churches. Their outreach is targeted toward the un-churched.

And I find it laughable that people are blaming mainline decline on mega churches. Mainline churches are declining for a lot of reasons, very few of them have to do with large successful churches. The point is the mega churches are reaching people. The mainline churches are not because they have chosen to become irrelevant either through bankrupt liberal theology or through assuming a posture of graceful yet inevitable decline.

Sorry but if mainline Christians want people to come to their churches they should do something about it. What they shouldn’t do is complain because the church down the street is doing everything bigger and better than they are.

 

[mitex]

Megachurches are awesome! They’re the hallmark of my Evangelical faith! Something I’m quite proud of!

 

[Kathryn_Ann]

I believe the term is historically used to describe mostly protestant parishes in which an individual church (not its entire U.S. or global membership) has over 1000 members and also to describe the large building or buildings and extensive outreach programs. There may be other ways to use the term, but I think this is the way the term Mega Church has been used most of the time. Others may have additional ideas. Hope this helps.:heaven::harp::heaven:

 

[JustaServant]

MEGA Church is an appropriate term for any single building holding an attendance of tens of thousands weekly for services, not including “partnership” attendance via the internet and television to the same services.

Some of the Protestant MEGA Churches have attendance of fifteen, twenty, and thirty thousand attendees per service, per building, in the United States, and fifty, seventy-five, and one hundred thousand attendees, per service, per building, in South Korea.

That is MEGA, by any standards.

The Catholic Church may have similar numbers, per church building or cathedral, in regular attendance.

Outside of Rome, do they?

So no, MEGA is not misleading when applied to some Protestant churches; although needing to apply the term exclusively to worldwide attendance might be.

If that be the definition, then there are many MEGAs : Hindu, Islamic, Confucian, Catholic, Protestant, and on and on, where multiple millions are members of each.

Besides, are you not glad of the Protestant MEGA Churches, but for the preference that they be Catholic?

Or would you prefer they not exist, if not Catholic?

A “mega-church” has nothing to do with the number of people in it. The Catholic Church certainly did not “invent” it.
The reason being is simply the meaning of the word “worship”.
Large Cathedrals in Medieval times served large cities in which travel was not like it is today. People did not attend to hear the latest medieval christian rock band or hear the most dynamic medieval preacher.
They went there to recieve the Body of Christ.
Evangelical “mega-churches” are a completely different animal.
They are basically entertainment centers.

 

[GaryTaylor]

The centrality of the MEGA Protestant Churches is Jesus - not the Sacraments, not Tradition, and not the Magisterium.!

All well and fine “if” we look at the Big Tent of Jesus Christ and on the vertical and horizontal plane. However the issue unfolds when we “condemn” others to advance our own agenda. Speaking strickly of Jesus/Calvery is not new, its called keeping the message simple to embrace a wide range of Christian followers.

Though Catholics may view failure to embrace beyond Jesus as failure to receive fullness of the Faith, to intimate - as you have - that focusing exclusively on Jesus, as those churches do, is tantamount to bun and carbs, without the beef, is disappointing and uncharitable.!

Pointed out above, the Catholic comment is uncharitable, and your analogy of food is terrible since its a foregone conclusion Beef, but in a 1-4 ratio is bad for your heath. I know but it “taste great”. Some would say the same about Jack Daniels and Coke. But is it good for you?

If fullness of the Faith leads Catholics to view their Christian brothers and sisters so simply, then that fullness of the Faith is noteworthy only for its arrogance.!

You have this in reverse the simplification of Jesus/Calvery leads one to believe the remainder of Christian teaching holds little validity next to the Cross. This message is often confirmed by condemning the Apostolic Churchs as “cults”. A tactic to raise ones standard as superior to another, by condemning the other. The CCC would be a great read here.

Just turn on SBN any day of the week and watch the “condemning” proceed. Its preached not weekly but “daily”. Common practice of this Mega Church.

Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI called and call for a New Evangelization. An evangelization directed toward Catholics, by Catholics, for a return to understanding core values.!

Those core values are the Catholic Faith, such as the Sacraments, Tradition, and the Magisterium, and of most importance the Eucharist and the Sacrement of Confession/Communion properly understood.

May I suggest you catch the next lesson: Focusing on Jesus is the beef !

Back to the Beef? Do you eat only Beef when you go out to dinner? Do you serve only Beef in your home for dinner. Does only Beef make a “complete” meal?

Are you hungry? You ever hear you should eat before food shopping? Beef is a terrible analogy…FISH lets use FISH

Peace and Love in Jesus Christ!!!

 

[cajunhillbilly]

I attend a “mega” church because it had a ministry geared to singles over 40. Since I had lost my wife in 2005, I started attending there to get some fellowship with others who were single in my age group. I know probably a bad reason, but I was hurting just then and the smaller churches ignore people who are divorced or widowed and in need of healing. Sorry, but it is true. This church happens to be Southern Baptist, by the way. But my theology is definitely NOT Baptist, so I will every 4 weeks or so attend a smaller Anglican church in my area to receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus. I am currently reading books by Scott Hahn by the way to get a better understanding of the Catholic Church. This mega church is not centered around the senior pastor. In fact he will often encourage the other pastors to preach so it doesn’t become a personality cult. He tries to center everything to Jesus, though I see them as lacking in sacramental theology. Not all mega churches are bad. But there are inherent problems just due to their sheer size.

 

[LegoGE1947]

I attend a “mega” church because it had a ministry geared to singles over 40. Since I had lost my wife in 2005, I started attending there to get some fellowship with others who were single in my age group. I know probably a bad reason, but I was hurting just then and the smaller churches ignore people who are divorced or widowed and in need of healing. Sorry, but it is true. This church happens to be Southern Baptist, by the way. But my theology is definitely NOT Baptist, so I will every 4 weeks or so attend a smaller Anglican church in my area to receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus. I am currently reading books by Scott Hahn by the way to get a better understanding of the Catholic Church. This mega church is not centered around the senior pastor. In fact he will often encourage the other pastors to preach so it doesn’t become a personality cult. He tries to center everything to Jesus, though I see them as lacking in sacramental theology. Not all mega churches are bad. But there are inherent problems just due to their sheer size.

The larger a church group is the more inherent problems there will be. Such as it is easy for an individual to “slip through the cracks” as it were. Also some people have the “ability” to feel alone in a huge crowd. There sometimes tend to be cliques. Also many “dumb down” their theology to cater to the least common denominator. Many focus on “entertainment” rather than actually presenting Jesus. I’m not saying the Catholic Church doesn’t have problems (you would have problems too if you were 2000 years old, had members in the billions from all nations on earth, all ethnic and racial groups and languages and walks of life. Some of the members are very devout and willing to play by the rules whereas others are members in name only and dissent from even some of the more important dogmas) But just think–if the Catholic Church were merely a human institution with all its problems, it would have gone “belly-up” centuries ago, but miraculously it has not! That has to be testimony to the concept that the Holy Spirit is the One holding it together and directing it toward its heavenly goal.

 

[Curious_Seed]

A “mega-church” has nothing to do with the number of people in it. The Catholic Church certainly did not “invent” it.
The reason being is simply the meaning of the word “worship”.
Large Cathedrals in Medieval times served large cities in which travel was not like it is today. People did not attend to hear the latest medieval christian rock band or hear the most dynamic medieval preacher.
They went there to recieve the Body of Christ.
Evangelical “mega-churches” are a completely different animal.
They are basically entertainment centers.

Attendance defines the term “MEGA,” in reference to the massive Protestant churches, as I have explained.

You might be lost in some other readings, since I never stated the Catholic Church “invented” it.

Thank you, for your take on Medieval times, not that it is on topic.

You must have a devoted a great deal of time, in attendance at Protestant Mega churches, to believe yourself to be so well informed about them that you have concluded they are “basically entertainment centers” and a “different animal.”

May I suggest that your disrespect for your brothers and sisters-in-Christ, by referring to them as animals seeking entertainment, reflects poorly on you, as a Catholic.

Although I am sure your presence will be missed, at the MEGA churches, I am sure your local Catholic parish will benefit greatly from your deep knowledge of Medieval history, and modern day Protestant movements.