Largest Christian Churches by Membership
The Catholic Church remains the single largest Christian denomination, with approximately 1.37 billion baptized members worldwide as of the latest available data, making it the largest Christian church by membership. The Southern Baptist Convention follows as the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, with about 13 million members reported in recent annual statistics. Forbes reports the top Christian denominations by global membership.
Beyond denominations, individual megachurches with weekly attendance above 10,000 continue to grow, particularly in the United States, Nigeria, and South Korea. Hillsong Church, though smaller than its peak, still reports large weekly attendance across global campuses. Forbes provides updated lists of megachurches by attendance.
Largest Church Buildings by Capacity
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is widely cited as the largest church building in the world, with an interior capacity of around 60,000 people and a dome height of approximately 136 meters. It serves as the central church of the Catholic Church and hosts major papal liturgies and ceremonies throughout the year.
In terms of seating capacity for Protestant worship, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, is often listed among the largest, with a designed capacity of roughly 18,000 worshippers. Wikipedia documents its dimensions and capacity. In the United States, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, reports one of the largest weekly attendances and seats around 16,800 people in its main sanctuary.
Global Distribution and Trends
The Global South, especially sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, accounts for the fastest growth in Christian church attendance and church planting, with Nigeria and Brazil hosting some of the largest congregations by weekly attendance. Pew Research Center provides data on global Christian distribution. Pentecostal and charismatic movements drive much of this expansion, with large churches emphasizing contemporary worship and community services.
In Europe and North America, historic mainline Protestant churches report declining membership, while non-denominational and evangelical megachurches continue to expand. Barna Group tracks religious trends and church attendance data. Capacity expansions, multi-site campuses, and online streaming have become standard strategies for the largest churches to manage growth and reach new communities.