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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, June 13, 2009

Measuring the megachurches


By Eric Gorski
Associated Press

Despite their reputation as symbols of baby-boomer America, Protestant megachurches attract a younger crowd and more singles than the average Protestant church, according to a large-scale study released Tuesday.

The survey also found that megachurch-goers volunteer less and give less money on average than other churchgoers.

From January through August 2008, the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary and Leadership Network surveyed nearly 25,000 people who attend 12 U.S. megachurches.

An estimated 5 million Americans a week attend roughly 1,300 U.S. megachurches, defined in the study as Protestant churches with attendance of 2,000 or more. For comparative data on Protestant churches of all sizes, the study relied on the U.S. Congregational Life Study of 2001.

Among the findings:

  • The average age of megachurch attenders is 40, compared to nearly 53 at a typical Protestant church. Nearly two-thirds of megachurch attendees are under 45, double the number in Protestant congregations overall. The vast majority are between 18 and 44.

  • Nearly a third of megachurch attendees are single, compared to 10 percent in a typical Protestant church. They also tend to be wealthier and better educated.

  • Nearly 45 percent of megachurch attendees never volunteer at the church and 32 percent give little or no money there. Just three-quarters described the megachurch as their "home" church, and many said they attend more than one church.