Is the Age of the Megachurch Over?
By Warren Cole Smith - Posted at MinistryWatch:
Published May 2, 2026
Not dead yet, but megachurches have been tried and found wanting by most Americans.The last half-century might one day be described by church historians as the Age of the Megachurch. However, it appears that this era — if it existed at all — is coming to an end.
Megachurches are not going away, of course. But data in recent years suggest their growth and numbers are leveling out, and possibly even declining.
In 1970, the United States had less than 20 protestant megachurches, churches with more than 2,000 in weekly attendance. Today, that number is close to 2,000, a 100-fold increase. However, this number has been mostly unchanged for the past 10 years. In other words, after a period of explosive growth from 1970 to about 2010, the growth in the number of megachurches, and the number of people who attend them, seems to have stagnated.
Outreach Magazine publishes an annual list of the fastest growing churches in America, and the largest churches in America. I recently compared the most recent list to the list from 2006 — 20 years ago. My analysis was not comprehensive, but it was fascinating.
For example, the largest church on the 2006 list was Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, pastored by Joel Osteen. In 2006 and 2026, the attendance listed was 45,000. No growth whatsoever over a 20-year period.
