The Top 50 Most Influential Churches in America

The Church Report ^ | 7/12/05 | staff

[ppaul]

Top 50 Most Influential Churches
The 2005 survey was sent to 2,000 church leaders with the goal of ranking the nation’s fastest growing churches and churches with more than 2,000 weekend attendance. The 127 churches nominated for the 50 Most Influential Churches survey were located in 32 states and represented 27 affiliation groups and/or denominations. The term affiliation is used to include networks of unaffiliated, independent churches.

[Clemenza]

There are apparently no influential Catholic churches in the US? Hard to believe.

Well, there are none in the northeast, to say nothing of the Pacific Northwest.

[Terriergal]

bingo!

[blue-duncan]

Do you remember the cardboard, cut out town Of Rock Ridge in Blazing Saddles, well every New England town has a white UCC church with requisite steeple, made out of the same material and about as lifeless, in its center. The rest of us cower on the outskirts waiting nervously for the rapture. Do me a favor, if you see it first, call me. I'm afraid we, in New England, may be an after thought or like those little legs on crayfish, not worth bothering over.

[wordsofearnest]

My kids call them the "church of the month". Its where all the "cool" protestants go.

[Terriergal]

Let's define influential... and who do they influence and to what end?

I tend to enjoy John Macarthur's broadcasts. He broadcasts nationally. How many people listen? I dunno. I know I find his stuff very challenging and helpful. None of this cotton-candy Christianity for me. I like my steak medium rare thanks.

[wordsofearnest]

LOL

[Terriergal]

lol

[Terriergal]

I would think that UCC church would be pretty influential, since you can believe whatever you want and still belong. :-)

[maestro]

....Let's define influential... and who do they influence and to what end?

....influential is the daily, public ringing of all church bells!

....to what end.....that of Christian Public 'Call to Worship and Prayer'.....

.....it is just one part of historic American Christian 'Liberty' as opposed to tolerance!!!

/All churches should have and RING......'their'....Churchbells!!!

/British Religion's god-of-....Charles-Darwin.....

[XR7]

It is full of scriptural error, not the least of requiring church leadership to sign covenants, in defiance of Jesus teaching otherwise.....

Your comment is intriguing.
What do you mean?
In your opinion, was the Mayflower Compact "in defiance" of the teachings of the Lord Jesus also?

[righttackle44]

"With what I have read about, Rick Warren, Osteen, Schuler, etc, I feel many of those guys are stuffed suit blow-dries and I pray for them."

I cannot imagine AT ALL Pastor Chuck Smith using your words--"stuff suit blow-dries"--to describe any of these
men, despite the personal or theological differences he
might have with them. Pastor Chuck is, besides a tremendous
Bible teacher, a godly gentleman.

So I think the problem is with YOU. To use such language to describe these men and then say you pray for them is so very much against the Spirit and Gospel that Pastor Chuck lives by and teaches and preaches.

[xzins]

#9 and I attended Asbury Seminary at roughly the same time...he was a year or so ahead of me. He has always had only a good reputation as a solid Christian and a good guy. I've never heard otherwise anyplace.

I remember Slaughter was an EXTREMELY gifted youth pastor at that time, and kids just flocked to his program at an otherwise so-so church in suburban Cincinnati. He didn't have the bells and whistles then....just straight gospel, program, and music. God uses him.

P-M, he's also a really decent guitarist/Christian musician....or at least was.

[LilDarlin]

How about the 1st Lutheran Church in Clinton Corners, NY?

[XR7]

I'm saying that those who deny infant baptism (and baptism in general as the way to be saved)...

So, how was that thief on the cross able to make it into Paradise?
Or are you suggesting that Mormons would someday be vicariously baptised on his behalf, Jesus knew that would happen in the future, and so he let the guy in that day?

[Beckwith]

I am thoroughly depressed that the Neo-American Church didn't make the list.

[patent]

>>>>The churches are "unaffiliated, independent" churches. At least that's what the article said.

Episcopalians aren't unaffiliated, and personally I wouldn't consider Southern Baptist to be unaffiliated either.

patent

[mollynme]

I looked up the "Right Rev. John B. Chane" (#16). Seems he's a pal of Gene Robinson and has performed "same-sex blessings".
How does he get on this list?

[maestro]

...Episcopalians aren't unaffiliated, and personally I wouldn't consider Southern Baptist to be unaffiliated either....

LOL

........'bingo'.....

LOL

[blue-duncan]

Wait a minute. Coming from Garrison Keillor country you don't have much to talk about our effete, impotent, inclusive UCC. The one thing we have going for us is that as long as the UCC, PUSA and the ECUSA keep making great strides into nothingness at their quadrennial, biannual and/or annual meetings, (I recommend they have monthly meetings since they pass resolutions so fast)they will continue to grow inversely proportionate to their over sized egos until they can hold their Sunday social meetings in a phone booth and then our churches will be influential and we can hold quadrennial meetings with lofty reports instead of quarterly business meetings concerning the potluck suppers.

[XR7]

Churches have become social clubs more than places where correct teaching and equipping of the saints takes place.

Then I take it that you are sacrificialy helping to equip the saints by volunteering at your local church and contributing your time, talents, and MONEY?