Top 10 Largest Churches in the Dallas Area

10. Cathedral of Hope, Dallas

The Cathedral of Hope is a liberal Christian church with over 4,000 members. Their enormous 10-story HQ located in Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood, was completed in 2002 through the efforts of Reverend Michael Piazza, who as senior pastor, oversaw the expansion of this once tiny church of 350 members to over 3,500. The Cathedral’s main building can accommodate 2,200 worshipers at once and is complemented by a 78-foot bell tower built to commemorate victims of HIV/AIDS. The Cathedral of Hope is now led by Reverend Neil Cazares-Thomas and currently has other campuses in Houston and Oklahoma City.

9. Dallas Texas Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Rick Willoughby, Dallas Temple 2, Size and Color by Dallas Century, CC BY 2.0

Located in North Dallas, the Dallas Texas Temple is the first temple of the LDS Church in Texas. Dedicated in 1984 by then LDS Church President Gordon Hinckley, and renovated several times in order to cater to the temple’s growing congregation, the Dallas Texas Temple now has an area of over 46,000 square feet. The Dallas Texas Temple serves over 50,000 members from all across Texas and Louisiana and has a weekly turnout of around 2,300 congregants.

8. Watermark Community Church, Dallas

Founded in 1999 to minister to “the unchurched, dechurched, dead-churched and unmoved“, Watermark Community Church is now one of the largest churches in the United States, with an average weekly attendance of over 11,000 congregants. Watermark Church has 3 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Plano). Their young adult service, The Porch,  gathers around 3,000 – 4,000 attendants each Tuesday night. Watermark Community Church is led by its Founder and Senior Pastor, Todd Wagner.

7. Park Cities Presbyterian Church

Michael Barera, Highland Park July 2016 25 (Park Cities Presbyterian Church), CC BY-SA 4.0

Park Cities is one of America’s fastest growing Presbyterian churches. Rev. Skip Ryan served as Park Cities’ first senior pastor since it’s establishment until 2006 and it was during his 15-Year Ministry that Park Cities Church became the spiritual home to around 5,500 members from a base of just 1,500 to 2000 attendees since the church held it’s first worship service in 1991. At present, Rev. Mark Alan Davis leads the church.

6. Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe, Dallas

Photo: Andreas Praefcke, Dallas Cathedral, CC BY 3.0

The Cathedral Santuario de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe), located in the Dallas Arts District, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas. The cathedral was formally dedicated on 1902 and has an average Sunday attendance of around 11,200 worshipers.

5. First Baptist Church, Dallas

Joe Mabel, Dallas – First Baptist Church 02, CC BY-SA 3.0

First Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist megachurch located just a few blocks away from the Dallas Museum of Art. Established in 1868 and from its humble beginnings in Akard Street, the church has over 12,000 members and also owns and operates a school, radio station, and a mission for the homeless. The congregation is currently headed by Pastor Robert Jeffress.

 4. The Potter’s House, Dallas

The Potter’s House is a non-denominational church, located in the Oak Cliff neighborhood. With over 30,000+ members, The Potter’s House ranks #10 for the largest churches in the country.  Since it’s founding in 1996, The Potter’s House now operates in  4 campuses – 3 of which are ine th Dallas-Fort Worth area and 1 in Denver, to cater to the needs of its rapidly growing congregation. The church’s massive 191,000-square-foot sanctuary at its main campus has a state-of-the-art auditorium that can seat over 7,600 worshipers. The Potter’s House has been led since it’s earliest days by its Bishop and Founder,  T.D. Jakes.

3.  Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano

With over 40,000 members, and still growing, Prestonwood Baptist Church is one of North America’s largest and fastest growing megachurches. Originally founded in 1977 by Pastor Bill Weber, Prestonwood had such rapid expansion in it’s early years that it quickly outgrew its original location and is now currently based at a sprawling 140-acre campus in Plano. The Plano Campus includes a school campus and a 7,000-seat worship center. Prestonwood also has a second campus located in Prosper, Texas. Prestonwood Baptist Church has over 17,000 weekly attendants and is currently led by Senior Pastor, Dr. Jack Graham.

2. Fellowship Church, Grapevine

Founded in 1989 as “Las Colinas Baptist Church” with just 150 members, Fellowship Church has now grown into a worldwide megachurch with different locations across Texas, Florida, the UK, and an online campus called “Fellowship Live.” Led by Senior Pastor Ed Young, Fellowship Church is now recognized as one of the largest and fastest growing congregations in America, with regular attendants averaging at over 20,000.

1. Gateway Church, Dallas

William Henley, GatewayChurchGrandPrairieSanctuary, CC BY-SA 3.0

Ranked as the 4th largest Church in the US by Outreach Magazine, Gateway Church identifies itself as a  non-denominational, evangelical, charismatic Christian church. Founded in 2000 by Pastor Robert Morris, with just an initial crowd of 180 members, the church has now grown enormously and now operates in 6 different locations around the Dallas-Fort Worth Area with over 38,000 memberships and an average weekly turnout of over 28,000 church-goers attending service each Sunday. Gateway Church also has an affiliated church that operates in Scottsdale, Arizona and operates schools, and online ministry services.