Mini-church vs. Mega-church

“Consider it the religious version of the Walmart effect that has swept through America – with more and more people deciding to find religion at the spiritual version of big-box stores rather than at small mom-and-pop-style congregations.”

This from Bob Smietana’s Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why It Matters, where he devotes a chapter to the current church reality in the USA. The numbers stagger.

First, most congregations are small but most people are in megachurches or bigger churches.

Second, the “median congregation had only 70 regular participants” in 2018-2019, though later I think Bob said 65. Anyway, choose your number. That’s the median.

Third, the average person going to church goes to one with 360 regulars with a budget of 450K.

Fourth, the top 1 percent of churches have close to 20% of the people and resources.

Which means church life in the USA mirrors the social conditions of America.

Fifth, the megachurches are populated mostly by people who have left smaller churches for the big church.

Sixth, those in the megachurches both give less money and participate as volunteers less. The criticism that megachurches attract those who want the show without commitment hits the nail on the head. I would contend, however, that those who do participate actively in these large churches are every bit as committed and have greater resources for their active work.

Seventh, here’s a big one: the observers of this stuff contend that the shift of church populations to the megachurches is “another possible sign of the decline of organized religion.”

Eighth, the inequality of churches (people and resources) is very similar to the inequalities in the broader culture. “A relative handful of big churches have about half of the money and people,” according to the long-term research of March Chaves of Duke.

Why are people shifting to the megachurches? I give a few of my guesses:

First, many people have been burned in small churches and are looking for a safe place.

Second, the performance level of both music or worship, as well as the captivating speaking by the preachers attract many.

Third, the resources and the variety of ministries available at megachurches gives people a niche into which they can plug in their own aspirations and desires for participation.

Fourth, the expectations for megachurch attenders are considerably less, if also often nonexistent. Those who participate in mini-churches or small churches are expected to participate, their names and lives are known, and they are under (in some sense) a greater scrutiny about their Christian behaviors.