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Texas has more than 200 megachurches. Here are the biggest

North Texas is a hotspot for megachurches.

Texas is home to some 210 megachurches.

Only one state, California, has more with 218.

A megachurch refers to any Christian congregation with an average weekly attendance of at least 2,000. But within that definition, megachurches vary dramatically in size.

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They do tend to have some defining characteristics, though, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, which studies megachurches.

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Roughly two-thirds describe themselves as evangelical; 40% are non-denominational and 16% are Southern Baptists.

They are most common in the suburbs of fast-growing, sprawling areas, including North Texas, Houston, Atlanta and Phoenix. Nearly all megachurch pastors are men, who are often viewed as authoritative and charismatic, according to the institute.

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Here is a look at Texas’ biggest megachurches.

1. Lakewood Church, Houston

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Average weekly attendance: 45,000

Led by televangelist Joel Osteen, Lakewood is one of the largest churches in the U.S. The nondenominational church meets in the former home of the Houston Rockets. Osteen’s wife, Victoria, serves as co-pastor.

2. Fellowship Church, Grapevine

Average weekly attendance: 24,162

Fellowship opened in 1989 in Irving and moved to Grapevine in 1998. Founding pastor Ed Young is still head of the Southern Baptist church, which has opened a handful of satellite campuses across North Texas.

3. Gateway Church, Southlake

Average weekly attendance: 20,500

Pastor Robert Morris opened Gateway in 2000, and the nondenominational church has since expanded across Texas and the U.S. It estimates its membership at roughly 100,000.

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4. Woodlands Church, The Woodlands

Average weekly attendance: 18,385

Kerry Shook and his wife, Chris, started the church in 1993 with just eight members who met inside a high school. The Southern Baptist church has since opened locations in Atascocita and Tomball.

5. Prestonwood Baptist, Plano

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Average weekly attendance: 17,000

Prestonwood was founded in 1977 in North Dallas as a mission church of Northway Baptist Church. The Southern Baptist church, run by pastor Jack Graham, moved to Plano in 1999 and opened a second location in Prosper in 2008.

6. Second Baptist, Houston

Average weekly attendance: 15,970

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Unlike many megachurches, which have opened in recent decades, Second Baptist started in 1927. Senior Pastor H. Edwin Young is the father of Ed Young, founding pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine. The church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention.

7. New Light Christian Center Church, Houston

Average weekly attendance: 13,500

This predominantly Black megachurch is one of the few led by a woman. Irishea Hilliard has served as senior pastor since 2018. New Light is part of the World of Faith movement.

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8. Lake Pointe Church, Rockwall

Average weekly attendance: 13,278

Lake Pointe has seven locations, including a church in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, México. The nondenominational church, run by pastor Josh Howerton, offers weekly sermons in English and Spanish.

9. Abundant Living Faith Center, El Paso

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Average weekly attendance: 12,400

Founding pastor Charles Nieman and his wife, Rochelle, began teaching a home bible study with 12 people in 1977. The bible study soon turned into Abundant Living, which is part of the World of Faith movement.

10. Community Bible Church, San Antonio

Weekly average attendance: 11,388

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Community Bible Church started in 1990 with 100 people in a hotel conference room and is now San Antonio’s largest church. Ed Newton has served as head pastor of the bible church since 2016.