History
The church has its origins in a 1917 house Bible study group led by Robert Warren and his wife. [1] In 1920 it opened its first building in Glenarden. [2] In 1989, John K. Jenkins Sr. became the senior pastor of the 500-member church. [3] In 2007, it dedicated a new building in Upper Marlboro including a 4,000-seat auditorium. [4] In 2012, it won its third Hoodie Award for Best African American Church for its positive influence in its community. [5] In 2018, it inaugurated a community center with a gymnasium and a health club. [6] In 2021, it opened a Covid-19 vaccination center in its community center. [7]
According to a church census released in 2022, it claimed a weekly attendance of 12,000 people. [8]
A megachurch is a church with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. They are usually Protestant, including Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant Christian church having 2,000 or more people in average weekend attendance. The megachurch is an organization type, not a denomination.
The First Baptist Church of Jacksonville is a Baptist megachurch in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. As of 2023, First Baptist Church has 2,100 members and an average attendance of around 3,000 for Sunday services. The main Downtown Campus comprises several square blocks of property connected by above-ground crosswalks. The campus includes several auditoriums for services, a Sunday school building, and facilities for First Baptist Academy, a private K-12 school.
Saddleback Church is an Evangelical Baptist multi-site megachurch based in Lake Forest, California. It is the largest church in California, and one of the largest in the United States of America. The church has several campuses in California and around the world. Weekly church attendance was 30,000 people in 2023. Its senior pastor is Andy Wood and his wife, Stacie Wood, is a teaching pastor.
Willow Creek Community Church is an Evangelical non-denominational multi-site megachurch based in the northwestern Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Dave Holmbo and Bill Hybels, who was its longtime senior pastor. Willow Creek has seven locations in the Chicago area, and their Spanish-speaking congregations, Willow Español, at the South Barrington and South Lake in Lincolnshire, campus.
Bethlehem Baptist Church is a Baptist Evangelical megachurch based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is affiliated with Converge North Central and Converge.
Palmer Theological Seminary is a Baptist seminary in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. It was founded in 1925 as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Its parent institution is Eastern University.
North Point Community Church is a non-denominational, evangelical megachurch located in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. North Point has an attendance of 23,000 people in eight locations in the north metro Atlanta area. The senior pastor Andy Stanley serves as the church's lead pastor and, in turn, leads the North Point Community Church staff.
Dream City Church is a multi-site Pentecostal megachurch based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA. The weekly attendance was around 22,500 in 2013. The senior pastor is Luke Barnett.
Harvest Christian Fellowship is a Baptist Evangelical multi-site church based in Riverside, California, affiliated with the Calvary Chapel Association and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Elevation Church is an Evangelical Baptist multi-site megachurch based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Weekly church attendance was 14,000 people in 2023. Elevation has 20 locations. Its senior pastors are Steven Furtick and Holly Furtick.
First Baptist Dallas is a Baptist megachurch located in Dallas, Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. It was established in 1868. The church is considered influential in Dallas and among evangelical Christians in the United States, because of its community involvement through 21 missions.
First Baptist Simpsonville, formerly Simpsonville Baptist Church, is a historic Baptist church based in Simpsonville, South Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Salem Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch located at 752 E 114th Street in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The senior pastor is Charlie Dates.
Mt. Ennon Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch located in Clinton, Maryland. It is affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA.
Franklin Avenue Baptist Church is a Baptist multi-site megachurch based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Its senior pastor is Fred Luter.
Fraternidad Cristiana de Guatemala is an evangelical pentecostal megachurch, in Mixco, Guatemala. The senior pastor of this community is Dr. Jorge H. Lopez. In 2016, the attendance was 20,000 people.
Eagle Brook Church is a Baptist Evangelical multi-site megachurch based in Centerville, Minnesota. It is affiliated with Converge. Weekly church attendance was 20,923 people in 2023. The senior pastor is Jason Strand.
