Obama makes plea for pluralism, citing interfaith partnerships, megachurches
United States RNS Former President Barack Obama at a forum on democracy pointed to the partnership of houses of worship and the success of megachurches as examples of ways to build bridges and foster pluralism. “The pluralist ideal is what allows a Christian church and Muslim mosque to sit side by side on the same […]
“A handful of songwriters from a handful of churches”: There’s a reason every hit worship song sounds the same
BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports on a new study that found that the most popular worship songs come from a handful of megachurches with a knack for writing pop songs about what God will do for you…
Bruxy Cavey, Canadian megachurch pastor, resigns after sexual misconduct probe
RNS The pastor of one of Canada’s largest churches was forced to resign after an independent investigation found evidence of his sexual misconduct. Bruxy Cavey, who grew The Meeting House into a megachurch with some 5,000 people attending 19 campuses in the larger Toronto metropolitan area, was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman who […]
Californian megachurch pastor dies days after announcement of COVID-19 diagnosis
RNS A pastor of a southern California megachurch died on Monday, days after the church announced he had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Pastor Bob Bryant died earlier in the day Monday, according to a statement by Water of Life Community Church in San Bernardino County, which had been part of a network of churches that urged Governor Gavin Newsom […]
US megachurches continue to grow and diversify, steer clear of politics – report
RNS America’s megachurches have continued to thrive over the past five years, attracting more worshippers, becoming more diverse and opening new locations. A pre-pandemic, national survey of megachurches from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found the median megachurch draws about 4,100 attenders to its worship services, up from about 3,700 in 2015. Lakewood Church […]
Funeral of Lois Evans, wife of Tony Evans, set for their Dallas church
RNS Lois Evans, the wife of megachurch pastor and radio broadcaster Tony Evans, is being remembered at a funeral on Monday at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas. Lois Evans, 70, died on 30th December after being diagnosed with biliary cancer. Lois Evans died on 30th December, 2019. PICTURE: Via LoisEvans.org She had been an […]
Essay: Willow Creek’s crash shows why denominations still matter
TISH HARRISON WARREN, in an article first published on Religion News Service, says that if there is to be any future for evangelicalism in America, “it must be a traditioned evangelicalism”…
Essay: Why churches should not measure their growth against the economic boom
In an article first published on Religion News Service, ARTHUR E FARNSLEY II, associate director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IUPUI, looks at why, despite the financial advantages of megachurches, smaller churches remain important in the US…