The pastor of America's largest church has defended megachurches against criticism that they are too big, saying critics are often hypocritical because they don't have a problem with other large public venues like sports and concerts. Ed Young is the pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, which is the 12th largest church in the United States with 24,000 attendees, according to the 2024 edition. Outreach 100 Report by Lifeway Research.
“'It's too big. It's a megachurch,'” Young said on Facebook. videoCiting critics.
“Well, that's got to be one of the most hypocritical things that someone could say, because the people who say it go to big concerts,” he said. “They'll go to football games. They'll go to big shopping malls. And they don't actually say that about those institutions, but they always say churches are too big. Look, if you think churches are too big, you're not going to like heaven, because heaven is going to be a big place.”
If a church is near “a lot of people,” it must be big, Young said.
The largest church in the United States is Life Church in Oklahoma, pastored by Rev. Craig Groeschel, with 76,000 members. Rounding out the top five are Highlands Church (Alabama, Rev. Chris Hodges, 60,000) and Valley Church of Christ (Arizona, Ashley Wooldridge, 48,000). Lakewood Church (Texas, Joel Osteen(North Carolina, 45,000) and North Pointe Ministries (Andy Stanley, Georgia, 43,000). The report is based on attendance averages, not membership.
Of the churches on the “Outreach 100” list, 15 have attendance of at least 20,000, and 69 have attendance of at least 10,000.
Young founded Fellowship Church in 1990. It started with 30 families but has since grown to include multiple campuses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
“Your church is too big…”
Contributor Ed Young On Friday, August 30, 2024
Photo credit: ©Facebook/Ed Young
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
