Southern Baptist churches are among the top 100 fastest-growing and largest participating churches in the country, according to recent research released by LifeWay Christian Resources and Outreach Magazine.
Largest participating churches refers to those that participated in the survey with an attendance of more than 5,269. Twenty Southern Baptist churches made the largest churches list including: New-
Spring Church, Anderson, South Carolina (3); Saddleback Church, Riverside, California (5); Elevation Church, Matthews, North Carolina (11); Second Baptist Church, Houston (13); Woodlands Church, The Woodlands, Texas (14); Lake Pointe Church, Rockwall, Texas (28); Potential Church, Cooper City, Florida (35); The Village Church, Flower Mound, Texas (36); Pinelake Church, Brandon, Mississippi (37); The Summit Church, Durham, North Carolina (42); Cross Church, Springdale, Arkansas (45); Church by the Glades, Coral Springs, Florida (46); Houston’s First Baptist Church, Houston, Texas (51); Biltmore Church, Arden, North Carolina (63); Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tennessee (65); Shadow Mountain Community Church, El Cajon, California (67); Austin Stone Community Church, Austin, Texas (72); Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, Tennessee (76); Sandals Church, Riverside, California (83); and The Church Without Walls, Houston, Texas (90).
Largest participating
That means five Southern Baptist churches (or one quarter) make up the top 20 list of largest churches in the United States. The other denominations represented in the top 20 are Baptist, Baptist Converge Worldwide, Independent Christian Churches, nondenominational and Wesleyan.
Nondenominational churches represent the largest number on the full 100 list (almost half) with 44 churches. Southern Baptists follow that with 20 churches, then Christian Independent Churches with 15.
In the Southeast
By region, the Southeast leads the way with 37 of the largest churches and a total attendance of 462,183.
NewSpring Church, Anderson, South Carolina, tops both categories’ lists among Southern Baptists while ranking eighth among the fastest-growing churches in the country as a whole.
Central Baptist Church, Jonesboro, Arkansas, follows behind NewSpring Church, ranking 11th on the fastest-growing list and reporting a 30 percent growth of 958 in its attendance, according to Baptist Press. Following behind Central Baptist is Beltway Park Church, Abilene, Texas, ranking No. 15 on the same list.
Denominationally, 42 nondenominational churches made the fastest-growing list, along with 20 Southern Baptist churches, 12 Independent Christian Churches and nine Assemblies of God churches.
Fastest-growing
The Southern Baptist churches on the fastest-growing list besides the three mentioned earlier are: Elevations Church, Matthews, North Carolina (18); Hill Church, Greensboro, North Carolina (25); Calvary Fellowship, Miramar, Florida (31); Liberty Baptist Church, Hampton, Virginia (35); Bethlehem Church, Bethlehem, Georgia (38); TrueNorth Church, North Augusta, South Carolina (42); Sandals Church, Riverside, California (45); The Summit Church, Durham, North Carolina (46); Lake Pointe Church, Rockwall, Texas (53); Lifepoint Church, Lewis Center, Ohio (58); Pinelake Church, Brandon, Mississippi (60); Mercy Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church, Moore, South Carolina (61); Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Sugar Land, Texas (68); Biltmore Church, Arden, North Carolina (77); The Summit Church, North Little Rock, Arkansas (94); theChurch.at, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (96); and Rock Bridge Community Church, Dalton, Georgia (99).
Only one Southern Baptist church made the top 20 of fastest-growing churches. Other denominations represented in the top 20 include Assemblies of God, Independent Christian Churches, Church of God Cleveland and nondenominational.
On the complete top 100 list of fastest-growing churches, nondenominational churches were the highest represented with 43 churches.
Overall, Southern Baptist churches achieved higher rankings in the category of participation than in the area of growth, according to the compiled lists, Baptist Press reported. (TAB)
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