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In Pictures: America's 10 Biggest Megachurches

No. 1: Lakewood Church

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Houston, Texas

Pastor: Joel Osteen

Average weekly attendance: 43,500

Annual budget: $70 million

With the largest megachurch in the country, pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen reaches some 7 million television viewers in the U.S. with his “Christian light”-style message, which is broadcast to more than 100 countries. Since his father, the church’s former pastor, died in 1999, Osteen has grown the nondenominational church seven times over, reflecting the demographics of its diverse home city. Osteen, who preaches about the positives in life, has made millions from his inspirational books. Osteen deflects notions that a pastor should be poor, says more riches means greater influence for ministry. He and his wife, Victoria, are the largest donors to Lakewood.

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© AP Photo/Jessica Kourkounis

Source: Forbes

Looks like it escaped from an industrial park.

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Televangelist and best-selling author, Joel Osteen, right, and his wife, Victoria, left (AP Photo/Jessica Kourkounis)

http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Home.aspx
http://www.victoriaosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx

In Pictures: America's 10 Biggest Megachurches

No. 2: Second Baptist Church of Houston

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Houston, Texas

Pastor: Edwin Young

Average weekly attendance: 24,000

Annual budget: $53 million

Pastor Edwin Young, 73, started the congregation 30 years ago with 300 people. Today he has five campuses to work with. Young says he continues to grow by focusing on youth; the church baptized 668 teenagers at a recent beach retreat. “Only churches reaching kids are really growing,” he says. “All the rest of it is really fluff.”

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© AP Photo/Michael Stravato

Source: Forbes

In Pictures: America's 10 Biggest Megachurches

No. 3: North Point Community Church

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Alpharetta, Ga.

Pastor: Andy Stanley

Average weekly attendance: 23,000

Annual budget: $38.5 million

Known as a nondenominational “church for the unchurched,” there are three campuses in the Atlanta area. Pastor Andy Stanley preaches practical applications of the Bible.

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© Matthew J Clark

Source: Forbes

So... are we gonna get the rest? Or are you just going to give us a new church every few days?

delete

In Pictures: America's 10 Biggest Megachurches

No. 4: Willow Creek Community Church

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Chicago, Ill.

Pastor: Bill Hybels

Average weekly attendance: 22,500

Annual budget: $36.2 million

Started in the Chicago area in 1975, Willow Creek opened four more campuses in 2002. Today, “Don’t let our size overwhelm you,” the church says.

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© AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser

Source: Forbes

In Pictures: America's 10 Biggest Megachurches

No. 5 : LifeChurch.tv

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Courtesy of LiveChurch.tv

Edmond, Okla.

Pastor: Craig Groeschel

Average weekly attendance: 21,000

Annual budget: $32 million

The epitome of megachurch-multimedia evangelism, there are 13 campuses spread across the country, with video content feeds and supplementary materials to “thousands” of start-up churches. The church has a virtual campus with an “online pastor” for services held at lifechurch.tv; some 3,000 people from 140 countries tune in throughout the week. Groeschel, a father of six, started the church in 1996.

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Source: Forbes

Minor correction: Willow Creek Community Church is located in South Barrington, IL, an exurb of Chicago located about 30 miles NW of the city.

:haha: Bah, c'mon, take it eazz... I don't think the guy feeding this thread would give a single dollar to such a smiling guru.
We're always confused at that kind of things in my country. That guy above would be treated as a sectarian swindler stealing money from the unfortunate people who're trusting him.

That said, if there's room for such things, it's only to point out the faults of older and supposedly more legitimate sects IMHO, including our good old Roman Catholic church.

Whenever you feel like being helpful to charity, there's a whole bunch of secular, experienced and proven clean NGOs that are more reliable in that respect. :shrug: Well, that would be my piece of advice, if you allow it.

one thing that unites these buildings (other than the people inside's unshakeable faith in that old book) is the sheer banality of these structures. #3 goes beyond this with an almighty level of ugliness.

Let's have a caption contest:

How much bullshit do I have for you today? This much!!
http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/u...oel-osteen.jpg

and plastic wifey on the side: yes Honey! You tell them. You do have a lot of bullshit, halleluiah!

By the way, this is what a nice church looks like. The ol' Baptists and Pentecostals need to take a bit of inspiration from the Catholics of yesteryear.

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chwingeninswitzerland

mrsmartman, are we ever going to find out the other 5 mega-churches in the US? It would be interesting to see the rest.