The Growth of the Megachurch

Abstract

This chapter argues that, contrary to commonly accepted views, megachurches enjoy a long history in Protestantism. That history can, for example, be traced to the sixteenth century Huguenot architect Jacques Perret who revealed the early Protestant vision for a large, multi-functional worship space which was eventually realised. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries further connections between present day megachurches and the past came with revivalism which provided the motivation for Protestants reach the masses and the Institutional Church Movement that created the infrastructure. The chapter also considers the demographic shifts that occurred following wwii, leading to the proliferation of megachurches in post-war America.