A simple definition for a megachurch is a Protestant church with attendance measured in the thousands.
Megachurches of various denominations across the country have “regular attendances pre-pandemic of 2,000 or more adults and children,” according to the Connecticut-based Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Today, the average megachurch has a weekly attendance of more than 4,000 people. There are about 1,800 megachurches nationwide, with at least eight operating in Hawaii, according to the most recent data.
Six megachurches can be found on Oahu:
- New Hope Oahu: 9,000 regular attendees in Honolulu; denomination: Four Square; founding pastor: Wayne Cordeiro, senior pastor: John Tilton.
- Word of Life Christian Center: 5,000 regular attendees in Honolulu; denomination: non-denominational; senior pastors: Art and Kuna Sepulveda.
- New Hope Leeward: 4,358 regular attendees in Waipahu; denomination: Four Square; senior pastor: Josiah Nordgen.
- Freedom Church (formerly Hope Chapel Kapolei): 2,500 regular attendees in Ewa Beach; denomination: Four Square; founding pastor: John Honold, lead pastor: Harry “Junyah” Quemado.
- First Assembly of God: 2,400 regular attendees in Honolulu; denomination: Assemblies of God; pastor Klayton Ko.
And two megachurches are on Maui:
- King’s Cathedral Maui: 5,409 regular attendees in Kahului; denomination: Assemblies of God; senior pastors: Joshua and Shannon Marocco.
- Hope Chapel: 2,000 regular attendees in Kihei; denomination: Four Square; lead pastor: Ben Prangnell.
Pew Research Center noted the religious makeup of Hawaii residents is primarily Christian, 25% of whom are Evangelical Protestant; 20% are Catholic; and 3% are Mormon. Most Hawaii adults profess a belief in God, though churchgoers reported attending a religious service once or twice a month, a few times a year, to seldom/never.
In research conducted in the early 2000s by Hartford Institute for Religion Research, there are several other characteristics of a megachurch besides just size:
- A charismatic, authoritative senior minister
- A very active, seven-day per week congregational community
- A multitude of diverse social and outreach ministries
- An intentional small group system or other structures
- Innovative and often contemporary worship formats
- A complex differentiated organizational structures
The institute acknowledged that though “there are many very large Catholic churches, we have chosen not to include Catholic churches in our discussion of megachurches in the U.S.”
In a 2015 study, the institute also found “that worshippers are not attending [church] as frequently,” reporting a 20-year decline in megachurches since their study in 2000. While the survey did not explore the reasons for this trend, one observation noted was the use of online church as an alternative to in-person attendance.
Hartford Institute for Religion Research’s most recent data also noted, the median budget for megachurches nationwide in 2019 was $5.3 million. Expenses typically include staff and facility costs, programs and outreach. This breakdown is similar to churches of other sizes, the institute reported, adding that “an average of 96% of a megachurch’s total budget comes from participant contributions.”
In Hawaii, budgets for megachurches range in the low millions. For example, Kihei-based Hope Chapel received $3.8 million in support, $2.7 million of which came from its general offering, according to a 2019-2020 audit. Contributions were earmarked for the church’s building fund and World Missions, with a large portion going toward staff salaries and general operations.
Financial data for the other churches listed could not be obtained prior to the publication.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
