Trump uniting with evangelicals

NBC.  Jan. 3, 2020

President Donald Trump launched his campaign's new coalition to court evangelical voters at a Latino megachurch Friday, part of efforts to shore up support in the community for his re-election bid as well as broaden it in the wake of a prominent evangelical magazine coming out in support of his impeachment.

“Every Democratic candidate running for president is trying to punish religious believers and silence our churches,” Trump told a crowd of thousands at the Ministerio Internacional El Rey Jesús. "This election is about the survival of our nation."

The rally-style event, which included everything from a prayer session and brief remarks by a young woman who chose not to get an abortion after becoming pregnant unexpectedly in college, saw Trump acknowledge the power of the evangelical voters who helped put him in office in 2016 and boast of conservative accomplishments both real and exaggerated while promising more to come.

A win in November, Trump said, would be “another monumental victory for faith and family, God and country."

The growing influence of evangelical churches

Times of Israel   6 October 2018

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AFP) — Evangelical churches are flourishing across traditionally Catholic Latin America and as the religious movement grows, its influence — including in this weekend’s elections in Brazil — is transforming the region and swinging its politics to the right, analysts say.

Sharply opposed to abortion, same-sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana, and leftist ideology in general, the evangelical movement has boosted conservatives and helped unseat a slew of left-leaning governments across the region.

Powerful evangelical churches are now helping tip the balance in Brazil, where far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro is riding high in the polls ahead of Sunday’s presidential election first round. 

“The recent elections in Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, and the upcoming one in Brazil reveal both greater electoral polarization and a shift to the political right,” says Andrew Chesnut, director of Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In Mexico, “even though he’s left of center, Lopez Obrador felt he had to make an alliance with a small conservative party founded by a Pentecostal pastor, to ensure his victory,” Chesnut says, referring to President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Dozens of megachurch pastors met with Vice President Mike Pence

CP Apr 12, 2018

Dozens of Southern Baptist megachurch pastors and their wives met with Vice President Mike Pence and senior White House officials on Wednesday to cap off the annual Southern Baptist Convention MegaMetro retreat.

Organized by former SBC President and Arkansas pastor Ronnie Floyd, as many as 68 megachurch pastors and 65 of their wives traveled to the nation's capital on Monday to partake in the annual invite-only retreat, which was attended only by pastors with Sunday church attendance of 2,000-plus.

"Folks wanted to come to Washington, D.C. so that we can pray for our country and be in the environment of Washington," Floyd told The Christian Post.

During the 3-day conference, discussion was devoted "to talking church." While Floyd led the pastors through various panels and interviews touching on how to "reach people for Christ," Floyd's wife, Jeana, led separate discussions for the pastors' wives.

The largest megachurch in the world

 

May 01, 2017 · By Matthew Bell

If the building didn’t have a giant cross out front, it could easily be mistaken for a sports arena.

But this is Yoido Full Gospel Church, a Pentecostal congregation belonging to the Korean Assemblies of God — a household name in South Korea. The institution is also known as the largest megachurch in the world, with a congregation approaching 800,000 people, according to church officials. 

Protestant megachurches, defined as those with at least 2,000 people in attendance every week, don't just operate all across the United States. This is a global phenomenon. 

Successful megachurches are operating in South America, Africa and Asia as well. And yet, no city has more of them than Seoul. The South Korean capital has 17 megachurches in all. 

Still, Protestant evangelical leaders in South Korea are facing a new challenge. Their public image has taken a hit in recent years due to a series of scandals, and the era of boundless growth for their congregations appears to have come to an end. 

Sunday services at Yoido Full Gospel Church start at 7 a.m. and run the whole day, until 7 p.m. They’re not in the same building at the same time, but officials say nearly 200,000 people attend worship services every week at the main church in Yeouido, an island in central Seoul that sits in the Han River. 

Yeouido Island is also where the South Korean National Assembly building is located, along with several big media companies. 

The scene inside the main sanctuary of the Full Gospel Church is impressive. There are seats for about 15,000 worshippers. Giant video screens carry simultaneous translations of parts of the service in Chinese, Japanese and English. Audio headsets are available with translations from the original Korean into numerous other languages. The choir has about 120 vocalists decked out in white robes and backed up by a full orchestra. 

Talking with members of the congregation on the main steps outside of the church, several people echo a sense of awe. They say they can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit at Full Gospel Church, and that’s what keeps them coming back.

At certain times during the service, people in the pews close their eyes, raise up their hands and even speak in tongues, creating a real revival atmosphere.

“When I was in my 20s, I went to another church. But it was kind of superficial,” says Lee Chong-sook, a 55-year-old attending Sunday morning service with her husband, their two young-adult children, and Lee’s sister-in-law.

“When I first walked past this church and I heard the preaching, I started to cry. It touched my soul. I felt joy and I felt healed from pain and sorrow,” Lee says.

The message from the pulpit would sound familiar to a lot of Christian evangelicals in the US. It’s about a strict interpretation of the Bible, with a focus on the power of prayer and positive thinking.    More

Megachurches are the spiritual phenomenon of the 21st century

By Samuel Smith , CP Reporter

Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, T.D. Jakes' Potter's House and Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church have topped Newsmax's list of "Top 50 Megachurches in America."

The list, released Wednesday, was compiled by The Christian Post's contributing editor Johnnie Moore, who wrote that the rankings were not based on church size but rather on the notoriety of the church's leaders, the ratings of their television and radio programs, and the reach of their books, public opinion and overall influence.

"Megachurches are the spiritual phenomenon of the 21st century; there are more churches with 5,000 people attending weekly services than at any other time in history," Moore, a former senior vice president at Liberty University, wrote. "So much for those who claim ad nauseam that faith is declining in our country."

Topping the list is Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, pastored by Warren. Moore wrote that if you ask 10 pastors, eight of them would likely name Warren as "the most well-known pastor in America." Moore added that Warren's societal influence has expanded way beyond the walls of his congregation.

"His book, Purpose Driven Life, is second only to the Bible in non-fiction best-sellers; he was recently the subject of a major motion picture; he's trained hundreds of thousands of church leaders in every nation in the world; and he's on the speed dial of presidents, prime ministers, rock stars, and celebrities," Moore wrote. "For years, insiders have joked that Warren is the 'Evangelical pope.' No one was joking any longer when Pope Francis came to America for the World Meeting of Families in September and invited the Evangelical Pastor Warren to deliver the keynote address."

Coming in second place is Potter's House Church in Dallas, Texas, led by Bishop Jakes, a best-selling author, producer, talk show host, and the personal pastor of Oprah. The non-denominational church is attended by 30,000 people weekly and services are broadcasted to millions of people all over the world.

"Its 200,000 square-foot Dallas sanctuary cost the congregation $45 million, and it only took four years to pay off," Moore explained. "Oh, and one time they had a single service in a stadium that was attended by 140,000 people."

Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, ranked third. The church is pastored by Joel Osteen, one of America's most well-known televangelists and Christian authors, and his wife, Victoria. Due to the popularity of Lakewood's television programs, the church was given an entire Sirius XM radio station when it decided to create a radio program.

Hillsong Church's campuses in Los Angeles and New York ranks sixth on the list, while Chicago's Willow Community Church ranked fourth and Oklahoma City's Life Church, which is attended by over 100,000 people every week, ranked fifth.

"Hillsong Church's headquarters might be in Sydney, Australia, but it has truly become a global movement," Moore wrote. "Hillsong now boasts churches in a dozen global cities with more than 100,000 people in combined weekly attendance."

Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, is listed at No. 12 in the rankings. The church, which sits at the far end of Liberty University, is led by Jonathan Falwell, the son of Jerry Falwell. Moore writes that the church remains one of the most influential in America.

"While Jonathan Falwell uses his political legacy selectively, when he speaks, people notice," Moore wrote.

Cross Church in Arkansas led by Pastor Ronnie Floyd, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, ranks at No. 17.

"Cross Church is a highly respected institution with a leader known for his spiritual leadership, as well as his prophetic speaking, writing, and teaching," Moore stated.

Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, led by Pastor Greg Laurie, is listed at No. 23, while First Baptist Dallas, led by Fox News contributor Pastor Robert Jeffress, is No. 28 in the rankings.

"This church, which operates out of a $130 million building, is led by the outspoken firebrand Robert Jeffress, who openly cherishes his role as a prophet to culture," Moore wrote.

Skyline Community Church, a Wesleyan congregation in the San Diego suburbs led by Pastor Jim Garlow, ranked at No. 30. Garlow is notable for spearheading a referendum to overturn California's same-sex marriage legalization in 2008.

The Village Church in Dallas, led by popular podcast Pastor Matt Chandler, was listed at No. 42 on the rankings.

"His podcast is incomprehensibly popular, and his church is large, young, and takes the Bible seriously," Moore wrote.

To read the complete list of "Top 50 Megachurches in America" click here. 

CP