The front page of the September 18, 2002, New York Times featured an article about the growth of evangelical churches in America during the 1990s. The study, “Religious Congregations and Membership: 2000,†found that among Christian fellowships of 1 million or more, the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ grew faster than any other group, with 18.6 percent growth over the decade of the ’90s. Much of that growth was due to large churches in growing suburban areas and new churches all across the nation. Many Christian churches continue to grow rapidly. There are more than 100 in the United States with more than 1,000 in average Sunday attendance. Though only one-half of 1 percent of the American population attends a Christian church, these congregations comprise more than 6 percent of the number of megachurches in the U.S. Christian churches are also leaders in new church planting, starting more churches per capita than almost any other group. Many are being planted in regions not historically represented by Christian churches. New churches are also starting larger and growing faster than ever before, with many averaging more than 500 within five years of starting.
Healthy as our domestic growth is, Christian churches are growing even faster overseas. Hundreds of mission enterprises exist in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, and other regions around the globe. In fact, there are more members in Christian churches abroad than there are in the United States. More than 1,000 American missionaries serve on six continents. Christian churches will continue to grow as long as each congregation keeps its eyes firmly on Christ, the cornerstone of our faith, and on the great ministry of restoration to which we have been called. That has been the hallmark of our growth, and will continue to be so until Christ returns.
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