Megachurches

“Our cultural moment sees the acquisition of fame as the greatest good, we measure our value by followers, fans, and likes. If you ask most kids what they want to be when they get older they usually say a YouTuber. That is not what kids said when I was young.” - C.Leaders

“Founder takes leave of absence for 2022 in order to prepare for trial on charges that he concealed alleged child abuse by his father.” - C.Today

“According to an investigative report by the Houston Chronicle, televangelist Kenneth Copeland has avoided paying $150,000 in annual taxes on his $7 million Texas mansion because of a loophole in the state’s tax code.” - C.Headlines

“…critics claim the organization—and many others—takes advantage of loopholes and vaguely worded clergy-housing allowances, shifting tax burdens to other residents.” - C.Leaders

“Cornerstone is part of the fastest-growing group of congregations in America: the minichurch. According to the recently released Faith Communities Today study, half of the congregations in the United States have 65 people or fewer, while two-thirds of congregations have fewer than 100.” - RNS

“Megachurches and the men who lead them can be superrich. So why don’t the IRS and local authorities see a cent in taxes?” - RNS

“ ‘That we would change our stance on abortion and sexuality, that we will allow critical race theory, Black Lives Matter and defunding the police to drive our agenda as a church,’ he continued, noting that all those claims are ‘unquestionably untrue.’” - C.Post

“The common thread in all of these movements is that congregations are becoming more local. Fewer people desire to drive a long distance to attend a worship service. To state it more positively, people want to attend a house of worship that represents the neighborhood or locale where they live.” - Rainer

“Citing the denomination’s rapid growth and a desire to make way for younger leadership and a more effective organizational structure, Hillsong Church Global Senior Pastor Brian Houston announced Sunday that he and his wife, Bobbie, have decided to transition away from their leadership role.” - C.Post

“ ‘Megachurch 2020,’ a survey conducted by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability in partnership with the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, found that overwhelmingly, small groups are central to megachurches’ spiritual formation of members.” - CPost