WHERE WE’RE STUDYING

The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Nigeria, pictured above.

Africa (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria)

The Church of Pentecost (COP) is a classical Pentecostal denomination that arose from a group of Apostolic Faith believers in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), out of the initial efforts of Peter Newman Anim and leadership of Irish Apostolic missionaries in the 1930s. From the beginning, the church was rooted in indigenous initiatives and is characterized by Pentecostal spirituality. As the largest Protestant denomination in the country, the COP has a staggering presence in Ghana and the number of congregants is estimated at nearly 10% of the total population. Learn more at thecophq.org.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is an indigenous Pentecostal church, which has now spread from Nigeria to about 195 countries with over five million members. The RCCG represents one of the largest megachurches within the global religious landscape, as exemplified by its Redemption Camp (a.k.a. Redemption City), which doubles as RCCG’s International headquarters. Occupying some 2500 hectares of land, RCCG has erected a three-square-kilometer-wide new auditorium with a seating capacity of over a million people. Learn more at rccg.org.

Kingdom Seekers Fellowship (KSF) was started by Apostle John William Kimani and his wife Rev. Naomi Kimani. Apostle Kimani was born and brought up in Central, Kenya. He is the presiding pastor and leader of Kingdom Seekers Fellowship, one of the biggest churches in Nakuru, and has over twenty congregations all over the country. Before his call into ministry, Apostle William Kimani worked as a prison warden. He is also the founding director of Missions to the body of Christ International (MBCI), Director MBCI TV & Radio as well as founding director of Heaven’s Gate Prayer Mountain. Learn more at ksf.church

Faith Evangelistic Ministry (FEM) is led by Rev. Teresia Wairimu. Born in 1957, she founded FEM in 1989 as a house fellowship. She was mentored by renowned German Evangelist Reinhardt Bonke. FEM has grown to be one of the largest megachurches in Kenya today, with its headquarters in the upmarket suburb of Karen. The main sanctuary of FEM Family Church can sit upwards of 10,000 congregants when full to capacity. The Church also has several congregations within the country, as well as Europe and America. FEM also has a social arm feeding orphans in Kikambala, at the Coast of Kenya, and an orphan rescue center in Korogocho slums in Nairobi. The church building itself epitomizes the visionary leadership of Rev. Wairimu, the founder and president of Faith Evangelistic Ministry.

Igreja Batista da Lagoinha, Belo Horizonte, pictured above.

Brazil

Igreja Batista da Lagoinha is an 82,000-member church located in Belo Horizonte, with branches throughout Brazil, Europe, and the United States. Lagoinha was planted in 1957 but spectacular growth began in 1978 when Márcio Roberto Vieira Valadão became the head pastor. One of Lagoinha’s distinguishing characteristics is its nationally renowned music ministry which has launched the careers of some of Brazil’s most influential artists. Learn more at lagoinha.com.

Igreja Batista Atitude. Atitude is one of the fastest growing churches and most influential Baptist churches in Brazil. In just over two decades Atitude has grown from a few hundred to nearly 20,000 members. The church has dozens of social and evangelistic programs and over 1,000 cell groups operating out of its 16 locations in Brazil. The church is located on the southern edge of Rio de Janeiro and is known for its dynamic leadership and worship. Learn more at igrejabatistaatitude.com.br/home

Misión Cristiana Elim Internacional, El Salvador, pictured above.

Central America

Tabernáculo Bauptista in San Salvador, El Salvador, was founded by Edgar Bertrand, usually referred to as Brother Toby, and now led by his son, Edgar Jr.  This is a non-Pentecostal Evangelical Baptist church that has some 90,000 lower middle-class members just at its central church in San Salvador.  Its air-conditioned sanctuary seats 8000 and the church has some 12 energetic services per week. Learn more at tabernaculo.net.

Fraternidad Cristiana in Guatemala City was started by Pastor Jorge H. Lopez in 1978 as a break away from the Calvary Church denomination.  Since then the church has grown to over 20,000 and in 2001 it completed a 12,000- seat auditorium in a busy professional zone of the city.  Although this church does not identify as Pentecostal, its services are very energetic with some emotional and Pentecostal-like expressions such as raised hands and open weeping. Learn more at frater.org.

Misión Cristiana Elim Internacional was founded in 1977 as a mission outreach of Elim church in Guatemala, Misión Cristiana Elim in San Salvador has grown into a Pentecostal megachurch of 80,000 mostly working class and poor congregants, with some 10,000 cell groups that meet each Saturday evening throughout the metro area. This church holds eleven services each week, operates a media outreach through three radio stations and one television station, and has some forty-five satellite churches throughout North America and Europe. Elim is an exceptionally large manifestation of the kind of Pentecostal or Spirit-filled Evangelical religiosity that is currently challenging the traditional Catholic dominance in El Salvador and, for that matter, the rest of Latin America.  Yet, in contrast to many other megachurches, Elim is one of the least autocratically led and most socially engaged churches in the world. 

Bethel Assemblies of God Church, Bangalore, pictured above.

India

Full Gospel Assemblies of God, Bangalore boasts 25,000 members with 17,000 in attendance each Sunday morning. The church was founded by a Sri Lankan, Paul Thangiah, who remains its senior pastor. Thangiah’s wife, children, and American children-in-law are also involved in the church’s ministry. Its constituency is primarily middle-class.

New Life Assemblies of God, Chennai was founded in 1973 by Pastor D. Mohan, and it is now a church with 40,000 members. Leadership at New Life AG is very much a family affair, with Mohan’s two sons actively involved in church ministry. New Life AG has a primarily middle-class constituency.

Indonesia

Nafiri Discipleship Church (NDC) was founded in 1991 by Pastor Josiah Abdisaputra with 15 congregants in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. A member of the Indonesian Bethel Church or Gereja Bethel Indonesia (GBI) synod, the church was known as GBI Nafiri Allah in its early years. GBI, connected to the Church of God Cleveland Tennessee, was formed in the 1950s and is today one the largest Protestant movements in Indonesia. GBI Nafiri Allah rebranded to NDC in 2014, operating in five locations in the Northern and Western parts of Jakarta known to be middle-class areas. With a vision of building disciples who are relevant to their world, this relatively young progressive church experienced rapid growth in the early 2000s reflective of their continued expansion of locations which now boasts 25,000 congregants. Flanked by a vibrant music ministry, NDC readily embraces technology in its church services and delivery modes which makes this young megachurch an excellent case study to study the effects of modernization and globalization in the Global South.

Gereja Sidang Jemaat Allah (GSJA) Bethlehem was founded in 1964 in the city of Bogor, Indonesia. Located around 60 kilometres south of the capital Jakarta, Bogor played a significant role in Indonesia’s history. It was the historic capital and housed the summer residence of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Bearing the legacy of the infrastructure built during the colonial period, Bogor plays a significant role in the economic, scientific and cultural development of the country. GSJA is considered the largest Assembly of God (AOG) church in Indonesia, which as a synod was formed since the 1940s and part of the largest Pentecostal World Assemblies of God Fellowship. With six senior pastors before him since 1964, GSJA is led by its current senior pastor Arif Multi Ardania since 2006. Considered a ‘local church’ serving the community of Bogor, the church operates three Sunday services with a variety of ministries serving the young, seniors and children. The church has remained consistent in growth and follows the trajectory of megachurches in delivery and mode as demonstrated through its modern worship style, increasing use of technology and transnational connections through the AOG network.

Christ Commissioned Fellowship, Pasig City, pictured above.

Philippines

Christ Commissioned Fellowship is a non-Pentecostal Evangelical church that began in 1982 under the leadership of Peter Tan Chi, and now has a membership of over 60,000 spread around several satellite churches throughout metro-Manila.  CCF owns a 10-story sanctuary in the business hub of Pasig City and has a seating capacity of 10,000. Its primary constituency is Filipino Chinese middle class, business people, and young professionals. Learn more at ccf.org.ph.

Victory Christian Fellowship was started by the American missionary Steve Murrell after he led a college evangelism delegation to Manila in 1984.  Its main center is in Taguig City and the church reports to have some 110,000 attendees in various fellowship centers throughout the business and educational centers of metro Manila and other major cities in the Philippines. Victory church describes itself as Evangelical but open to the charismatic work of the Holy Spirit, yet hesitant to affirm prosperity orientations.  Learn more at victory.org.ph.

Saeronam Community Church, Korea, pictured above.

South Korea

Saeronam Community Church was established in 1986 in Daejeon, the fifth-biggest city in South Korea, whereas most of the megachurches in Korea are located in Seoul. In addition to a geographical adjacency to government facilities, broadcasting companies, and Daedeok Science Complex, it grew to the largest church in Daejeon with about 12,000 registered members. It is a member of the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea (GAPCK), one of the most conservative denominations in South Korea. In accordance with the doctrinal identity of GAPCK, the church leader, Jung Ho Oh, goes towards a conservative tradition of reformed theology, focusing on the one-year Discipleship Training Program with the organizational support of thirty pastors and roughly twenty elders, even though he is also actively involved in inter-denominational ministries. The proclaimed core values of this megachurch are evangelism, discipleship, family ministries, and serving the local community and workplaces. This church operates various cell groups among church members by age, gender, district, and bible study groups as well as an alternative school under Christian values. Learn more at saeronam.or.kr.

Hosanna Church was established in the name of Busan Sae-Jungang Church in 1977 in Busan, the second-biggest city in South Korea and in 1979 moved to the Sasang district whose population increased rapidly. It grew to the second largest megachurch in Busan with about 10,000 registered members. As a member of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK), the largest Protestant denomination in South Korea, this church is now located in a newly built area with a systematic and well-organized social infra-structure, attracting more and more young generations to this area, even though it is distant from the central downtown of Busan. Based on these geographical specifications, its Sunday school is always filled with children and teachers and well-known for its efficient and motivating educational system. This reputation led this church to establish a Christian alternative school within its building. For international missionary work, the church leader, Jinso Yu, has supported not only to build a local church in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and mainland China, but also to rescue people from the earthquake in Nepal. Learn more at hosanna21.com.