Multi-site church

A multi-site church is a specific church congregation which holds services at multiple geographical locations, either within a specific metropolitan area or, increasingly, several such areas.

Characteristic

Within the multi-site approach, both the primary location (usually the one with the largest physical attendance) and the offsite locations will commonly have their own music worship and announcements pertaining to that congregation. [1] Commonly, though, the sermon will be broadcast via satellite from the primary location, though some churches use on-site ministers to deliver the sermon, but generally it is the same sermon presented to all congregants at all locations.[2] [3]

History

The first church to become multi-site was Highland Park the Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1942.[4]

In 1990, there were 10 multisite churches the United States. [5] In 2014, there were 8,000 multisite churches.[6]

Multi-site churches have also established campuses in prisons.[7]

Controversies

Eddie Gibbs, professor of church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary, stressed some concern over multisite churches, arguing that the multisite church movement "perpetuates the chronic problem that (the Church) have of undiscipled church members" through a lack of relationship between congregants and the teaching pastor.[8]

See also

References
  1. Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, Warren Bird, A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip: Exploring the New Normal, Zondervan, USA, 2009, p. 109
  2. Jeff Strickler, Chain churches, startribune.com, USA, February 8, 2008
  3. Quentin J. Schultze, Robert Herbert Woods Jr., Understanding Evangelical Media: The Changing Face of Christian Communication, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2009, p. 164
  4. Lisa B. Deaderick, BRIEF HISTORY OF MULTISITE CHURCHES, dailypress.com, USA, December 23, 2006
  5. Eddie Gibbs, ChurchMorph: How Megatrends Are Reshaping Christian Communities, Baker Academic, USA, 2009, p. 169
  6. Ed Stetzer, Multisite Churches are Here, and Here, and Here to Stay, christianitytoday.com, USA, February 20, 2014
  7. Daniel Silliman, The Latest Multisite Campus: Prison, christianitytoday.com, USA, October 22, 2019
  8. Bob Smietana, Rebecca Barnes, High-Tech Circuit Riders, christianitytoday.com, USA, August 31, 2005
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