America’s booming megachurches draw 10M worshipers weekly: study

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, June 30, 2026

America's megachurches have rebounded from the COVID-19 lockdowns stronger than many expected, with most now reporting higher attendance than before the 2020 shutdowns despite representing less than 1% of all Protestant congregations in the United States, according to a new study.

The report, Megachurch Resurgence: How Big-Attendance Churches Rebounded After the Pandemic, by researchers Warren Bird and Scott Thumma and released by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, found that while the nation has approximately 1,850 megachurches, they attract an estimated 10 million worshipers on a typical weekend. That's roughly one in every six Protestant churchgoers.

The researchers found that 67% of megachurches now report attendance above pre-pandemic levels, while 84% say their congregations are stronger today than they were before COVID-19. Another 86% described their churches as thriving and expressed optimism about the future.

The findings are based on a survey conducted between Aug. 20 and Nov. 13, 2025, of 589 Protestant congregations averaging at least 900 weekly attendees, including 331 megachurches. The research is part of the Hartford Institute's ongoing 25-year study of America's largest churches.

The researchers found that since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, a majority of America’s approximately 1,850 megachurches have rebounded in metrics such as attendance, giving, and diversity.

“During the pandemic there was considerable speculation that large churches had permanently lost momentum,” Thumma, a retired professor of sociology of religion at Hartford International University and former director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.

“Instead, we found that most megachurches have demonstrated remarkable resilience. Many have emerged stronger than before — not simply because attendance returned, but because they have renewed their focus on discipleship, leadership development, innovation and community engagement.”

Researchers said many megachurches used the disruption caused by the pandemic as an opportunity to rethink ministry strategies, invest in leadership development and expand community outreach.

“Our findings suggest that America’s largest churches continue to function as laboratories of innovation,” said Bird. “Many of the ministry practices that eventually spread throughout American churches — whether multisite ministry, leadership residencies, digital engagement, or new approaches to discipleship — often appear first in these larger congregations.”

The study also found that most surveyed megachurches identify as Evangelical. About 67% described themselves that way, up slightly from 65% in 2020. Another 12% identified as missional, 12% as charismatic/Pentecostal, 4.5% as moderate/progressive and 4.5% as seeker.

The median megachurch income of $7.4 million also reflects an increase from $5.3 million in 2019, which shows a growth rate exceeding the rate of inflation, according to the researchers.

“The story emerging from this research is not simply one of recovery,” Thumma said. “It is a story of adaptation. These churches have navigated extraordinary disruption and, in many cases, used it as an opportunity to rethink ministry, invest in people, and strengthen their mission.”