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The largest churches in America

A snapshot of the largest individual Christian congregations in the United States by weekly attendance. All figures are approximate and shift year to year.

Top Protestant congregations

  1. Life.Church (Edmond, OK) — multi-site, ~85,000 weekly
  2. Lakewood Church (Houston, TX) — Joel Osteen, ~45,000 weekly. Find churches in Texas →
  3. Church of the Highlands (Birmingham, AL) — multi-site, ~40,000 weekly
  4. North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA) — Andy Stanley, ~38,000 weekly
  5. Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, CA) — founded by Rick Warren, ~30,000 weekly
  6. Christ Fellowship (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) — multi-site, ~28,000 weekly
  7. Gateway Church (Southlake, TX) — multi-site, ~28,000 weekly
  8. Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL) — ~25,000 weekly
  9. Elevation Church (Charlotte, NC) — Steven Furtick, ~25,000 weekly
  10. The Potter's House (Dallas, TX) — T. D. Jakes, ~30,000 weekly
  11. Second Baptist Church (Houston, TX) — multi-site, ~25,000 weekly
  12. Phoenix First Assembly / Dream City (Phoenix, AZ) — ~22,000 weekly
  13. Crossroads Church (Cincinnati, OH) — multi-site, ~22,000 weekly
  14. Hillsong NYC — pre-restructuring peaks; now smaller
  15. Mariners Church (Irvine, CA) — ~17,000 weekly

Largest Catholic parishes

  1. St. Matthew Catholic Church (Charlotte, NC) — ~35,000 registered
  2. St. Vincent de Paul (Holliston, MA) and many large suburban parishes
  3. Saint Brendan (Bothell, WA)
  4. Holy Cross (Indianapolis, IN)

Catholic parishes track registered families, not weekly attendance, so direct comparison with Protestant numbers is misleading.

What makes a megachurch?

See our megachurches guide for the formal definition (2,000+ weekly attendance) and what to expect when visiting.

Methodology & sources

Numbers compiled from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, Outreach Magazine's annual lists, and church-published reports. Megachurch attendance can vary widely week to week and shift dramatically with cultural trends and leadership changes.

Is bigger better?

Not necessarily. Megachurches offer professional production, plentiful programs, and easy anonymity. Smaller neighborhood churches offer deeper community. See our guide on choosing a church.

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