Inside the World’s Biggest Megachurches
By Warren Bird
In our Megachurch World series, we take a close look at large churches around the world that are successfully and systematically reaching people with the gospel.
What’s the world’s biggest church? It depends. There are lots of claims out there, from tallest building to most square feet.
If you mean largest weekly worship attendance, the current record holder, at 480,000, is still Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea. But if you mean greatest seating capacity, look to Africa.
The world’s biggest church-related auditoriums are in Nigeria at huge retreat areas set up for camp-style, denominationwide gatherings used throughout the year. For example, under the visionary leadership of Enoch Adeboye, the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s vast tract of land called Redemption Camp can seat 1,000,000 in its auditorium built of steel and cement.
Just down the Lagos Expressway from Redemption Camp, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, founded by Daniel Olukoya, has built Prayer City. It can accommodate over 500,000 worshippers, with an overflow of 250,000. Likewise, Deeper Life Bible Church, which Pastor Williams Kumuyi started in 1973, also has a conference center off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. It is nearing completion on a 130,000-capacity main auditorium there.
The Winner Is …
If we’re talking about the world’s largest church buildings that are specifically used for weekly worship services, Nigeria still leads the way. My online list of global megachurches itemizes 16 different congregations in that country with seating capacities of 10,000 or more.
The largest is Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, with a 50,000-seat church auditorium called Faith Tabernacle. The 2010 Guinness World Records book recognized it as the largest church auditorium in the world. Predictably, Winners Chapel, led by its founder David Oyedepo, is also one of Nigeria’s highest-attended churches.
Other Nigerian church leaders have announced plans to build even larger sanctuaries. For example, Joshua Iginla, leader of Champions Royal Assembly, has broken ground on what he projects to be an 80,000-seater.
