Let’s shine our Sunday shoes and get ready for the largest churches in the world by membership. I love attending different kinds of churches, synagogues and other religious services in order to learn more about them and experience a diversity of culture. I also don’t mind attending Mass with my family because the ritual is something I have experienced all my life–the familiarity is comforting.
I remember getting dressed up most Sundays to go to Mass. I also remember stuffing myself into a tiny church building on the 2nd street and often overheating and being taken outside. I was clearly a frail and feebly child–or at least one that would happily pray or play outside.
People from around the world unite under one roof to worship God and pray for themselves and for their family. There are a lot of churches around the world where people go every day, or once a week, but do you know which are the largest? Well, we have the list for you. You also might be interested in the 11 Tallest Cathedrals In The World.
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We decided to create a list of largest churches in the world by membership to show you how many people are visiting them on a weekly basis. When we say “by membership” we mean an average number of active weekly attendees. That is the most valid evaluation of a membership–their activity. We would rather measure genuine members than those simply signed up for something.
In order to create our list we collected statistics and information from a document we found online created by Warren Bird, Ph.D., because the churches in America were missing, we also collected them from our previous list of 11 biggest churches in America and sorted them by their average number of active weekly attendance. Please enjoy our list of the churches with the highest number of attendees.
10. Igreja Da Paz (Church of Peace)
Igreja De Paz or the Church of Peace is located in Santarem in Brazil. It is one of the largest churches in the world by membership because more than 50,000 attendees are visiting it every week. The lead pastor in Igreja De Paz (Church of Peace) is Abe Huber. He is also the founding pastor who first opened the doors of Igreja De Paz (Church of Peace) to people back in 1993. In 1996, three years after the church was founded the number of attendees exceeded 2,000 and now there are more than 50,000 active attendees.
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9. Lagoinha Baptist Church (Igreja Batista de Lagoinha)
The Lagoinha Baptist Church (Igreja Batista de Lagoinha) is also one of the biggest churches in the world by membership. It is located in Belo Horizonte in the Minas Gerais province in Brazil. The lead pastor of Lagoinha Baptist Church (Igreja Batista de Lagoinha) is Marcio Valadao who was born in 1947 and became the lead pastor in 1972. The Lagoinha Baptist Church (Igreja Batista de Lagoinha) was founded in 1957, and today it proudly gathers around 50,000 attendees every week. Lagoinha Baptist Church (Igreja Batista de Lagoinha) also has a branch in the United States and the largest worship seating capacity is 8,000.
8. Lakewood Church
Lakewood Church is another which found its way on our list of largest churches in the world by membership. The Lakewood Church is located in Houston, Texas. It is the largest church in the United States and in the whole world by the number of attendees – 52,000. The Lakewood Church was founded on May 10, 1959, by Joel Osteen. Today the founder, Joel Osteen is the lead pastor of this church together with his wife, Victoria Osteen. Lakewood Church has four services in English and two in Spanish every week.
7. Pyungkang Cheil Presbyterian Church
Pyungkang Cheil Presbyterian Church has more than 60,000 active attendees who are coming here every week. The Church is located in Seoul, Korea and it is not only one of the biggest churches in Asia but in the whole world. The lead pastor is Abraham Park Yoon-sik who was born in 1928. He founded the Pyungkang Cheil Presbyterian Church back in 1964 and became the lead pastor in the same year. The largest worship sitting capacity of this church is 17,000 and they have a branch in the United States as well.
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6. Deeper Christian Life Ministry
The biggest church in Africa and therefore in the whole world is the Deeper Christian Life Ministry. The Church has an average number of active weekly attendees of 65,000. Deeper Christian Life Ministry is located in Lagos (Gbagada), Nigeria. The lead pastor in this non-denominational charismatic church is William Kumuyi who is also the founder of the church. He was born in 1941, and he became the pastor of Deeper Christian Life Ministry in 1973 when he founded the church. The largest worship sitting capacity in Deeper Christian Life Ministry is 30,000, and they also have a branch in the United States.
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5. Victory Metro Manila
Victory Metro Manila also found its way on our list of largest churches in the world by membership because it has an averagely 65,000 weekly active attendees. The church is located in Manila, Philippines and it is a non-denominational church. Steve Murrell became the pastor of Victory Metro Manila in 1984, the year when he founded the church. In 1993 the church exceeded 2,000 active weekly attendees and it has largest worship sitting capacity of 1,200 seats. Victory Metro Manila also has a branch in the United States.
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4. New Life Church
New Life Church is among the largest churches by membership not only in Asia but in the whole world as well. The number of weekly attendees is rapidly growing from day to day, and the current average number of active weekly attendees is more than 70,000. New Life Church is located in Mumbai, India and it is one of the most beautiful churches as well. The New Life Church was founded back in 1968 by missionaries. The first pastor of New Life Church was S. Joseph.
3. Onnuri (All Nations) Community Church
Onnuri (All Nations) Community Church the next one in our list of largest churches in the world by membership is another church located in Seoul, Korea and it is one of the largest in the world by membership. The average number of active weekly attendees is more than 75,000 in Onnuri (All Nations) Community Church. The lead pastor in this church is Jae Hoon Lee who was born back in 1968 and became the lead pastor of this church six years ago in 2011. The Onnuri (All Nations) Community Church was founded back in 1984 by Jong Jo Hah who is very respected and influential leader in the modern Korean church history. The Onnuri (All Nations) Community Church have a branch in the United States as well.
2. Calvary Temple Church
India has another church which is one of the biggest churches in the world by the number of attendees – the Calvary Temple Church, which is in the second place in our list of largest churches in the world by membership because the average number of active weekly attendees is more than 130,000. The church is located in Hyderabad (Kukatpally), India. The lead pastor in this church is Satish Kumar who is also the founder of the church. Satish Kumar was born in 1971 and twelve years ago, in 2005 he founded the Calvary Temple Church. Only two years after the founding of the church it exceeded 2,000 active weekly attendees and today the largest worship sitting capacity is 20,000. During 2013, the 18,000-seater was built in just 52 days.
1. Yoido Full Gospel Church
On top of our list is Yoido Full Gospel Church which is the largest church in the world by membership. The average number of active weekly attendees is more than 480,000. The Yoido Full Gospel Church is also located in Seoul, Korea. The current pastor of the church Young Hoon Lee who was born in 1954. He became the second pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church is 2008. The church was founded in 1958 by David Yonggi Cho who was born in 1936. David Yonggi Cho was co-pastoring with John Hurston. Today the largest worship sitting capacity in Yoido Full Gospel Church is 21,000 and the church also has a branch in the United States.
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This was our list of 10 largest churches in the world by membership. Keep in mind that the average number of members is rapidly growing and by members, we mean active weekly attendees.
