Let me start with a few disclaimers: First, I have no intention to say definitely here whether or not a megachurch may be the “right” sort of church for you in general or in your current faith season, if that is something you are pondering. I only want to (hopefully) help equip you to better make that discernment for yourself with my own observations and experiences. Secondly, I want to acknowledge that the term “megachurch”, as I’m using it here, describes an incredibly diverse set of communities which hold a wide range of theological stances, denominational ties, demographic breakdowns, and interior cultures, among many other elements. My own experience will certainly not mirror anyone else’s perfectly. I want not to perpetuate generalizations, but only to speak to broad trends and commonalities, both positive and negative, present in many of these communities. Finally, please know that all my words are intended to be constructive and loving towards megachurches and those who attend them, as I myself come from a place of very much wanting these faith communities to succeed in the goal of showing people the love, grace, and glory of our God. 

Now, let me briefly explain my own history with megachurches, so you might better understand where exactly my perspective comes from. I was born into a humble Baptist church which I have fairly little memory of, but when I was in late-ish elementary school our family began attending a much bigger non-denominational church, which has continued to grow at a consistently strong pace in the time since (for context, this is in a relatively affluent, predominately-White suburb of Chicago, IL). This new community represented a major departure from expectations of what “church” had always looked like for my Catholic father and Southern Baptist mother: This new place had guitar players, a main auditorium which doubled as a basketball court, and highly-developed programming for kids of all different ages throughout the year. Nevertheless, despite their own reservations stemming from this culture-shock, my parents stood by the move, in large part because they felt that this new church would prove beneficial for the faith development of my identical twin and I (which I would unequivocally say was true). Over the next decade, my brother and I became fixtures in the youth program, consistently attending weekly events and retreats all through our middle and high school years, eventually becoming volunteer youth leaders ourselves, first in the elementary-level program and then in the middle school one. I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that I credit the vast majority of my early faith development to my mentors and friends found in those youth programs, and for that I will be forever grateful. Additionally, being a youth leader proved to be a major catalyst for my own faith growth in ways I could’ve never imagined or hoped for, and I have the kids I led to thank for that personally. 

Although neither my brother or I really had ambitions to move beyond our volunteer positions into long-term work or employment with this church (especially with the prospect of college ever on the horizon), we both were very committed over those years, dedicating countless hours to bettering the community and fostering relationships with the kids we led. We weren’t perfect at it by any means, but we did our best, and I like to think we had a net-positive impact there. I even decided to attend a university on the northside of Chicago (Loyola University Chicago), which had the benefit of allowing me to continue my service in a slightly-limited capacity; I admit it was a not-insubstantial part of the reason I stayed local for my higher education. However, as college began we both began to go new ways with our faith, and for my part I joined a much smaller campus ministry at LUC called Agape & Ecclesia, but my time there is another story for another time. A little less than a year ago, I officially resigned from my cherished position leading a group of middle school boys, at the time soon-to-be high school students, which I had been with for nearly three-and-a-half years; it was easily one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make, ending my more than ten years in that community. Making that change in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic made things only more heart-breaking, as our ministry had not even been in-person for the prior 4 months. It was something whose timing I had planned for years in advance, well before COVID-19 was even a thing, but never could I have imagined closing that chapter of my life in that way and on those terms. 

Although that story is, of course, a major oversimplification of all my experiences surrounding megachurches, I think it will suffice to illustrate for you where I am now and how I got here. Reflecting on a childhood of innocent joy, an adolescence of familial tribulation, and a young adulthood of reborn faith spent there, I hope I can speak some truth to some of the blessings that these churches are uniquely positioned to pour out on their congregations and also the stumbling blocks they may face in that pursuit (I want to quickly acknowledge again that I recognize the limited scope and applicability of my own experiences). So, with all that in mind, here they are: 

Potential Praises of Megachurches: 

● Approachability– Megachurches tend to utilize less liturgical and more “modern” flows-of-service, which can be much easier to follow for those unfamiliar or uncomfortable with strict liturgy, such as children and people who do not come from a strong faith background. Additionally, there is usually a very “come-as-you-are” attitude, allowing for more casual clothing, coffee thermoses, and a generally welcoming atmosphere, breaking down additional barriers to entry. In essence, they are the sort of place you could invite any of your neighbors to and not worry about scaring them away, which can be invaluable for spreading the Gospel, at least as a starting point. 

● Strong Structures & Programs– The focused Bible studies, small groups, seminars, and sermon series often offered by megachurches can be really helpful for approaching specific topics or ministering to the needs of specific demographics. As I touched on in my abridged testimony, the strong youth programming often present in these churches has the potential to be incredibly helpful for coming alongside parents and giving kids a healthy space to grow in their faith. For parents who feel like they don’t have the time or energy (or both) to minister to their kids as much as they would like, this can be an incredible way to supplement home teachings. 

● Diversity/Outreach– Although these churches are known in popular culture for attracting younger demographics and are not always ideally diverse in terms of race or socio-econoomic status, there have been many strides made in recent years to change these dynamics, and I believe that it can absolutely become a major strength of these communities if leadership teams continue to lean into it (which, in my opinion, should involve a number of institutional reflections on areas like hiring practices for leadership members). With much greater resources at their disposal, these churches should also have the capability to do more aggressive outreach to under-reached communities in particular and position themselves at a crossroads of a variety of different groups of Christians, rather than catering only to certain groups.

● Theological Openness– Along with a diversity in terms of socio-economic factors, these churches also have the potential to act as hubs of respectful and insightful discourse from diverse theological positions. With the global church being fractured among denominations than ever before, and with many denominations quietly shunning communion with one another over numerous disagreements, the fact that most megachurches are non-denominational/inter-denomination allows them to facilitate a greater diversity of Christian thought and push for greater ecumenism. Beyond just exposing Christian from all walks of life to new ideas (that are still within the Christian canon, of course), it can also feed into the approachability of a church for outsiders by making the communities less insular-seeming. However, my first concern acts as a sort-of flipside to this point (see below). 

Potential Concerns for Megachurches: 

● Unclear/Indecisive Theological Positions– One concern I’ve heard often is that megachurches sometimes neglect to establish their own clear theologies in certain areas (such as racial injustice and LGBTQ+ issues, among others), perhaps in pursuit of more popular appeal. While there is nothing wrong with a church taking being careful and thoughtful when engaging with hot-button topics, nor with a church’s theology evolving over time to reflect more nuanced understanding, there is a real risk of conflicts arising when there seems to be no official position or statements at all for congregants, leadership, or volunteers to reference. Megachurches could often do better with transparency around their posture towards these things, to better reflect how important these topics are to some potential churchgoers. 

● Overemphasis on “Showmanship”– While catchy worship songs, fog machines, built-in cafés, and vacation-like retreats might bring people through the front doors, I believe that they alone are woefully inept in teaching the Gospel alone. In every setting and ministry, a megachurch needs strong pastoral teaching and intentional fellowship to truly fulfill the spiritual needs of its congregants. Given the complexity of megachurches, it can understandably be difficult to balance all these things in every area and throughout every specific ministry, but it is critical for the ongoing spiritual formation of the people who call the church “home”; if in doubt, I’d always recommend prioritizing strong preaching and community-building. I don’t believe that every megachurch does a bad job of this by any means, but it must be something which is constantly guarded against. 

● Leadership Troubles– I think this is honestly the elephant in the room of this discussion; it feels like every other week that another senior leadership member is deposed from a major megachurch for any number of transgressions. Megachurches’ pseudo-corporate structures unfortunately, like an actual corporation, sometimes put far too much control in the hands of one person, or a small group of like-minded people, which will pretty much always go sour eventually (as a current business student whose done numerous cases studies in the business word on this topic, I’m all too familiar with these sorts of situations). Megachurches need strong safeguards for everything from workplace toxicity to sexual misconduct to fiscal misuse (see next point) by their leaders. Humbly, I might suggest that the best pastors have no need or desire for a strong personal brand, celebrity connections, vice-like control of their church, or an investment banker’s salary.

● Financial Misuse/Prosperity Gospel– This is a touchy subject and it is not something I’d lightly accuse any ministry of not considering. Churches necessarily must manage their financial positions; one of my majors is Finance, so I completely understand this reality. There is certainly nothing wrong with a church humbly asking for financial support from its congregation (and a faithful congregation should give graciously in turn), but there should never be coercion, guilt, or the misuse of faithfully-given funds. When budgets break the seven-digit mark it can also be quite easy for money to be misused, but the Church, as an institution, has a Biblical responsibility to be good stewards of the financial means provided to it by its members, and I do honestly worry that megachurches do not always take this as seriously as they perhaps should; their financial disclosures often seem sparse from an accounting perspective. On a related matter, churches should also be careful never to fall into the heresy of in any way implying that worldly wealth or that giving to a specific church is necessarily a sign of one’s faithfulness to God, often termed as the “Prosperity Gospel” or “Seed Theology”, which only serves to dehumanize the poor and needy. At their core, while similarities to a corporation may abound, megachurches should always remaining focused on the fact that they are answerable to an infinitely higher authority and moral standard than shareholders or a Board of Directors 

So, with all that said, it might seem like I am trying to say that megachurches are way too much of a mixed bag to be a good choice for anyone, but that’s not at all my intention. As someone who has seen both the abundant beauties and unfortunate pitfalls present in a particular megachurch (and in testimonies I’ve heard/read about other megachurches), I wanted to give you a fairly comprehensive set of metrics for you to weigh when it comes to understanding and/or joining a megachurch. I have no doubt that there are at least a few megachurches out there which have embraced all the benefits I listed (among others that I didn’t think of) and none of the drawbacks. If you find a church like that which fits your spiritual needs, then I’d absolutely encourage you to give it a try if you are looking for a new church to call “home”. I wholeheartedly want every megachurch to succeed in sharing the Gospel and pointing people towards Jesus, and I will continue to rejoice in all the unique ways they do so. 

As I hope I made clear earlier, I owe every bit of my young faith life to that megachurch which I was a part of, and if I got a second chance I’d do it all again without a moment’s hesitation. The people I met, the experiences I had, and the things I learned there lift my spirit and buoy my heart even today, as I face down any uncertainties. I still reflect daily on how God was working through all the time I spent there: The good, the not-so-good, and everything in between. The wonder of the kids I led still inspires my relentless optimism for the future and my limitless hope for humanity. The wise words of my own leaders still stick with me as I ponder life’s questions. The sermons I heard there laid the bedrock for my faith today even as I’ve deconstructed and reconstructed every facet of my faith. 

A megachurch is where I first felt like I met and knew God, and maybe you could meet and get to know Him at one too, wherever you’re coming from, wherever you are, and wherever you’re headed. To be completely honest, I’m of the opinion God will chase you down no matter where you end up, but I’m also a strong believer that the right church can help you get there a whole lot faster and will help you rest in Him much better. Maybe it ends up being a megachurch, or maybe not; hopefully, this article might help you figure that out. But, whatever sort of church you attend, or even if you don’t attend one at all right now: Peace be upon you in these times and praise God from whom all blessings flow.