Top 50 Most Influential Churches

[Modem Butterfly]

Not all of them in the Bible belt. My boss' church is on this list, BTW.

http://www.thechurchreport.com/content/view/484/32/

[GeekMonkey]

1. Just the thought of an 'influential church' makes me cringe

I wish they'd all just go away and stop perpetuating the myths that prop up so much violence in the world.

[lyberyl_prygryssyve]

11. Amen, brother! n/t

.

[Lerkfish]

2. Interesting that they don't list any UCC churches...especially

as our congregations are leading the way in terms of tolerance and acceptance, and providing a counter to RW hate-filled rhetoric.

interesting.

[patrice]

3. Is that straight-up or is it satire?

They refer to "industry experts" and "industry events" seems too close to calling them what they really are BUSINESSES.

[GoBlue]

4. There's a lot of competition in the faith industry.

I wouldn't recommend selling to any of them.

[Hondo921]

5. Interesting...

[wideopen]

6. Number 50 in my town

If this church is #50 I can't imagine how much power the others have.
They are MAJOR players in local government and influence all kinds of legislation. If you get ten people together in this town 1 or more of them attend this church. If you want to see the true definition of "fundie christian" this is where it can be found.

[jmowreader]

7. Interesting how they came up with this list

There are two groups of churches on this list:

* America's fastest growing churches
* Churches with over 2000 weekly worshippers

It seems at first glance like just a "size" survey, but they also use a poll of ministers. The three components (membership and attendance, growth rate, and opinion of other preachers) go together to determine America's Most Influential Church.

The most influential church in America has over 23,000 weekly worshippers and over 50,000 members. That's fucking huge.

You'll love this one: Thomas Road Baptist Church is number 28. That's Falwell's building. Most leftists would rate a church whose senior pastor controls the president of the United States as the most influential church in America. Apparently the people who actually run churches don't feel this way.

[Zenlitened]

10. But even 23,000 weekly worshippers is a drop in the bucket...

... compared to the televangelist empire. That shit is dominated by the looniest of the right-wing loons, and it is EVERYWHERE. I have all the religion channels blocked out on my TV, and I STILL come across these programs 4 or 5 times a week.

:puke:

[jmowreader]

12. But you can't count the televangelist audience

The 700 Club is probably getting five million viewers: five or six thousand "know thine enemy" leftists, and the rest serious freepers (or people who would be freepers if they could afford a computer and Internet access).

[Dukkha]

8. No. 24 is the only one I know

Cecil Williams and Glide are TRUE Christians. They devote every cent and every resource they have to helping the poor in the city of SF.

[gratuitous]

9. Excellent! None of them are in Oregon

Peace Church of the Brethren continues to fly below the radar. Heh, heh, heh.

[Rockholm]

13. These "Men of God" All Look The Same..EXCEPT...

the mainline denomination priests/ministers.

That evangelical "made-for-TV" look is nothing but creepy. They have the same "republican hair" that I often complain about. You know, the part with the bangs that kinda make a smiley over their forheads? I think it hids the 666 tattooed on their foreheads.

In any event, they could do a follow-up report on the power of the people in their pews. One would find that, at least among the movers and shakers in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and DC, the power belongs mostly to the mainline denominations (Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Catholic) not to mention Jewish congregations.

[sam sarrha]

14. consider this.. the Jesus Logo Corproate Church.. Fascist State Church

http://www.insider-magazine.com/ChristianMafia

Christian Fellowship..?? fellowship of what..??