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Cover Story - Megachurches
Megacongregations
Some of Florida's other large churches
Some of Florida's other large churches:
Without Walls International Church
Tampa, Lakeland
Non-denominational
Average weekend attendance: 15,000
Followers: 40% African-American, 30% white, 20% Hispanic, 10% other
Budget: $50 million
Leadership: Founded in 1991 by Bishop Randy White, 47, with his wife, senior pastor Paula, 39, known nationally for her televised Paula White Ministries, which launched in 2002; broadcasts to "two-thirds of the world."
The Church: An old Canada Dry building seats about 4,200. The Lakeland facility, seating up to 12,000, formerly was owned by the Carpenters Home megachurch, which shrank amid split and scandal. Not all megachurches stay megachurches.
Christ Fellowship
Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, West Palm Beach
Non-denominational
Average weekend attendance: 10,200
Followers: Primarily white but with "a solid black and Hispanic representation," the church reports.
Budget: $16.2 million
Leadership: Senior pastor Tom Mullins, 60
The Church: Founded in 1984. Attendance doubled in one week in 2000 when the church moved to its largest sanctuary, 1,750 seats in Palm Beach Gardens. A smaller campus in West Palm Beach holds services at the CityPlace retail-condo complex. The church wants to add one campus in the region per year. Dozens of ministries, including a therapeutic horseback riding program for disabled children and teens.
First Baptist Church
Orlando
Southern Baptist
Average weekend attendance: 6,500
Followers: Predominantly white but increasingly multiethnic with Spanish and Portugese translations beginning in January.
Budget: $12.85 million
Leadership: Senior pastor Jim Henry, 68, under whom the most growth occurred, retires March 31 from the 134-year-old church. Co-pastor David Uth, from Louisiana, will become senior pastor. Transitions are a critical issue in megachurch sustainability. Assistant pastor Steve Smith says the co-pastor transition may set a model for large churches with longtime leaders.
The Church: Growth leveled in the late 1990s then jumped to 6,500 after adding a contemporary service. The church leads all 45,000 Southern Baptist churches globally in giving to the convention's cooperative program to fund mission efforts. It gave just over $1 million last year from its budget with another $755,000 from church members.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, Orlando
Coral Ridge Presbyterian
Fort Lauderdale
Presbyterian
Average weekend attendance: 5,500
Followers: Predominantly white, skewed toward middle age and older
Budget: $10 million
Leadership: Senior minister D. James Kennedy, 75, took the church from 45 people in 1959 to its current size, almost 10,000. He is well-known via radio and TV broadcasts worldwide.
The Church: 137 ministries, including cancer support, home schooling and prison outreach. Youth groups enroll 450 children.
FaithWorld
Maitland
Non-denominational
Average weekend attendance: 5,000
Followers: 60% African-American, 20% Hispanic, 20% white
Budget: $6 million
Leadership: Senior pastor, songwriter Clint Brown, 42. His high-energy music and service are the church's trademark.
The Church: The facility was taken over from televangelist Benny Hinn when Hinn moved to Dallas. Brown got some unwanted attention when papers filed in his divorce indicated he lived in a $1-million house and had seven cars. Those papers said Brown had a $142,432 salary but earned double that from music sales, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Pastor Terry Baum says the church has rallied around Brown and is on a growth tear.
Idlewild Baptist Church
Lutz
Southern Baptist
Average weekend attendance: 5,000
Followers: Predominantly white
Budget: $11 million
Leadership: Senior pastor Ken Whitten, 51, has been pastor for 16 years, taking over a 1,000-member congregation
The Church: Founded in 1934, Idlewild expects to grow 20% to 30% this year as it moves into a new, 5,400-seat auditorium. Planning a two-story education building, fellowship hall and a family life center with a fitness center and gym. Extensive land holdings -- 143 acres.
Note: Sociologists define megachurches as non-Catholic churches with at least 2,000 in average weekend attendance. Some churches have larger memberships than the average weekend attendance figures printed here because not all members attend weekly. Average weekend attendance is considered the superior indicator for church management because it gives a more accurate picture of facilities and capacity needs. First Baptist Church and Celebration churches in Jacksonville and Northland in Longwood usually appear in listings of the bigger megachurches in Florida. None of the three was responsive in a timely manner to our requests for information the other churches here provided.
Source: The churches
