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The Top 50 Most Influential Churches in America
The Church Report ^ | 7/12/05 | staff

Posted on 07/12/2005 7:31:32 AM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at thechurchreport.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christianity; christians; church; churches; denomination; gospel; influence; jesus; jesuschrist; lakewoodchurch; mcleanbiblechurch; megachurch; pastor; pastors; religion; saddleback; seekersensitive; top50; top50churches; topten; willowcreek
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1 posted on 07/12/2005 7:31:32 AM PDT by ppaul
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To: ppaul

Saddleback Church is the largest Southern Baptist church in North America (makes one proud to be a baptist). And Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life is an incredible book that I think everyone should read.


2 posted on 07/12/2005 7:48:30 AM PDT by JamesP81
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To: ppaul

Go Calvary Chapel!


3 posted on 07/12/2005 7:55:59 AM PDT by jtminton (Help stop second hand rap!)
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To: ppaul

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


4 posted on 07/12/2005 8:07:21 AM PDT by Smartaleck
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To: ppaul

Having attended Saddleback (among many other southern California churches), Saddleback is by far the best one out here, so far... and I like the simplicity with which he started, a few people gathered in a condominium (not even a house). And God blessed...


5 posted on 07/12/2005 8:11:14 AM PDT by gamarob1
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To: jtminton
I attend Calvary Chapel because they are one of the only bible based churches in the SF Bay Area. I really feel it doesn't really matter what the top churches are, as long as the teach the bible correctly verse by verse, chapter by chapter.

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.

6 posted on 07/12/2005 8:13:21 AM PDT by Battle Hymn of the Republic
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To: Smartaleck

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


7 posted on 07/12/2005 8:13:38 AM PDT by Bigoleelephant
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To: Smartaleck
Yep!

This is NOT about real churches but,.....

....The Top 50 Most Influential RECREATION-CENTERS in America

No Offence only Fun allowed.....

/religious 'Campus'.....

British 'Religion' is Everywhere Growing....

and GAS prices are up to 'friendly' levels now too....

/sarcasm

8 posted on 07/12/2005 8:21:17 AM PDT by maestro
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To: JamesP81
James,
Obviously the criteria to be on this list is what it is. To be considered "influential" as a church and deny infant Baptism and the true presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar (all Sacraments for that matter) means this is a list I would not only not want to be on but would be embarrassed to be included. Again, I know the criteria did not even consider true doctrinal theology to be even as important as number of members. As for me, no thanks.
9 posted on 07/12/2005 8:33:40 AM PDT by loftyheights (Lutheran Loft)
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To: Smartaleck

the article discussed "fastest growing" i haven't heard of a catholic church ever being referred to as "fast growing" something about the fact that catholics don't tend to be as out and about as the more evangelical churches, who tend to encourage "bring your friends, bring your family, bring your co-workers, bring some bum off the street!"


10 posted on 07/12/2005 8:55:37 AM PDT by absolootezer0 ("My God, why have you forsaken us.. no wait, its the liberals that have forsaken you... my bad")
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To: ppaul

Are any of these liberal "mainline" churches?


11 posted on 07/12/2005 9:05:50 AM PDT by I still care (America is not the problem - it is the solution..)
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To: ppaul

So how many of them are plastic-haired, snake-fondling money-grubbers with troweled-on makeup?


12 posted on 07/12/2005 9:07:13 AM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: absolootezer0
I live about 2 miles from #10 New Life Center in Colorado Springs. I have to say they are pretty influential. My daughter rides the High School bus with them during the school year.

They are so sold on rapture theology that she can't make any progress with them at all.

Of course she is the only Catholic on the bus, and there are about 20 of them.

13 posted on 07/12/2005 9:10:06 AM PDT by ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton
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To: loftyheights

Er, deny Infant Baptism? I will. I was born and raised Catholic, learned the mass as an altar boy in Latin, stayed until I started reading the Bible on my own.

Granted these churches are independent and non-Catholic, but don't tout infant baptism as a crux of faith.


14 posted on 07/12/2005 9:12:42 AM PDT by txzman (Jer 23:29)
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To: jtminton

AMEN!

However, they forgot OUR favorite... Jon Courson


15 posted on 07/12/2005 9:15:31 AM PDT by Conservativehomeschoolmama
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To: loftyheights

embarrassed? not want to be on??

I'm Lutheran and I know about #19. He is a leader of Christians and someone I would follow into heaven.


16 posted on 07/12/2005 9:24:19 AM PDT by wallcrawlr (http://www.bionicear.com)
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To: maestro
Where's Dr. Gene Scott on this list?

He's dead, yet I'd still rather listen to him than any of these other bloviators.

17 posted on 07/12/2005 10:03:27 AM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: loftyheights
Eleven of the churches listed are "mainline", which would indicate that they believe in infant baptism. Two of the churches are affiliated with the conservative Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) denomination, which prefers infant baptism, though the Westminster Confession of Faith recognizes only a symbolic presence of Christ in the Eucharist. There appeared to be two Episcopal churches in the list, whose Eucharistic doctrine is close to that of Lutheranism.

One would have to question the criteria that was used in determining what churches are influential. The churches pastored by John MacArthur, Tony Evans, Jack Graham, and Chuck Swindoll are not counted in the top 50 even though the pastors have extensive radio teaching ministries. All four are on the more conservative end of evangelicalism. Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, and Robert Schuller are not inerrantists and tend to "easy believism." It is hard to imagine any mainline churches, Crystal Cathedral excepted, being influential except within their own denomination. Evangelicalism and mainline Protestantism travel in separate worlds, with as wide a gulf as existed 50 years ago between Protestantism and Catholicism.

18 posted on 07/12/2005 10:16:53 AM PDT by Wallace T.
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To: Hank Rearden

Actually from the list, most of those pastors are solid bible teachers from various denominations. It's not the name it and claim it bunch.


19 posted on 07/12/2005 10:17:50 AM PDT by CajunConservative
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To: Hank Rearden
Where's Dr. Gene Scott on this list?

You can still get replays of Dr. J. Vernon McGee at www.ttb.org

20 posted on 07/12/2005 10:23:02 AM PDT by maestro
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