Book Debunks the Myths About Megachurches
By ADELLE M. BANKS
Religion News Service
They're big, nondenominational, homogenous churches that are all show with little spiritual depth.
While that's what some might assume about the nation's megachurches, scholar Scott Thumma is out to bash the stereotypes and explain the churches' appeal.
“Everybody takes those general characteristics and applies them to all megachurches,” he said.
Yes, they're big, he says, but only 5 percent have 3,000 seats or more, and only two or three can seat 10,000 in one service. He and co-author Dave Travis have written “Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches” to reveal what research says about the 1,250 Protestant churches across the country that attract at least 2,000 worshippers each weekend.
Thumma's favorite myth is that the people sitting in megachurches tend to all be from the same racial, ethnic, political or economic group.
“One of the most fascinating things that I have always found about megachurches — and it's probably due to size — is that there's a tremendous amount of diversity in any congregation,” said Thumma, who teaches at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut.
“I think there's something about it being big that allows it to draw in all kinds of folks — some Democrats, a lot of Republicans, some impoverished people, but also (some) quite wealthy.”
... Thumma and Travis argue that much of what is working successfully in megachurches — using sermons to address contemporary issues and fostering small groups to encourage community service, for example — can help smaller congregations.
“We are absolutely convinced that these congregations are doing some things right, and it's not just related to their size,” said Thumma. “What they're doing as big churches can also be translated to smaller congregations.”
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