largest Korean churches in North America
April 17, 2007
South Korea has the largest megachurch in the world: Yoido Full Gospel Church has over 253,000 in attendance on an average weekend and a membership of over 837,569. One account says that 11 of the world’s 12 largest megachurches are located in Seoul, South Korea, while another report notes that the top 10 largest megachurches in the world are all outside of North America.
Let’s take a look at the largest Korean churches in the United States and Canada, churches with Korean language worship services. This is a list of very large Korean churches in the USA and Canada (cf. large Chinese churches list previously posted):
- All Nations Church (aka Onnuri; Los Angeles + multi-site) [~4,500]
- Austin Korean Presbyterian Church (Austin, TX)
- Berendo Street Baptist Church (Los Angeles) [~2,000; cf. NAMB article]
- Bethel Church (Ellicott City, MD)
- Bethel Korean Church (Irvine, CA)
- Binnerri Presbyterian Church (Richardson, TX) [“largest in Dallas”; EM website]
- Canaan Presbyterian Church (Glenview, IL)
- Chodae Community Church (Norwood, NJ) [2,200; EM is called Mosaic]
- First United Methodist Church of Flushing (NY) [~1,800]
- Full Gospel New York Church (Flushing, NY) [2,000?]
- Global Mission Church (Silver Spring, MD) [~3,000]
- Glory Church of Jesus Christ (Los Angeles) [2,000?]
- Grace Korean Church (Fullerton, CA) [???; EM website]
- Hebron Presbyterian Church (Prospect Heights, IL)
- Korean Central Presbyterian Church (Vienna, VA) [~4,500]
- Korean Christian Church Of Houston [???]
- Korean Community Presbyterian Church Of Atlanta (GA) [~2,600]
- Korean Emmanuel Presbyterian Church (San Jose, CA) [~1,500; youth ministry]
- Korean Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (Rowland Heights, CA) [???; “largest Korean church outside of Korea“]
- Korean United Church Of Philadelphia (PA) [~1,350]
- New Song Church (Carrollton, TX) [??]
- Los Angeles Christian Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles, CA) [~1,100]
- New Community Baptist Church (Mountain View, CA) [???]
- Oriental Mission Church (Los Angeles, CA) [???]
- Sarang Community Church (Anaheim, CA) [~8,000]
- Torrance First Presbyterian Church (CA) [2,700?]
- Young Nak Presbyterian Church Of Los Angeles [~6,000]
- Yuong Sang Presyterian Church (Horsham, PA) [???]
- Young Nak Korean Presbyterian Church Of Toronto (Canada) [???]
- Light Korean Presbyterian Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) [map]
Note that church size is not an indicator of anything other than size. By maintaining such a listing here is only a point of reference (and of research interest to some).
I’ll do my best to keep this list updated. Please add a comment with new info, or email me at djchuang[at]L2foundation.org [Hat tip: this list was initially compiled with help from Joseph Kim and KAMR - Korean-American Ministry Resources.]
[cf. also see the list of largest Chinese churches in North America]
Find more like this: Korean, L2 Blog, church, megachurch.
Link to this article:
May 1st, 2007
Hi DJ–you might want to add The Light Presbyterian Church, which is in the Toronto metropolitan area as well as Young Nak. The Light and Young Nak are the two big Korean churches, from what I understand, in that area.
June 27th, 2007
[…] Here is the best link that I could come up with. The reason this seems like what you are talking about is the mission oriented nature of these churches, spreading the word, as it were. A tidbit *deep*in my memory , (30 years ago deep made me look here.. largest Korean churches in North America
July 12th, 2007
Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in San Jose, CA has an average attendance of about 1500 per Sunday, including children.
February 28th, 2008
I just want to ask prayer.I’m a pastor here in the Philippines.We are on a construction of our buiding and we stop due to lack of funds.Our worship is being held in the house of one of our member.Please do pray for us.
Pastor Edwin Pilao
June 16th, 2008
I am a missionary church planter to the remote and unreached poor villages here in Mindoro island Philippines.
The works we’re doing is growing and expanding but we don’t have our own church lot and permanent church building. Our temporary church building was demolished last July 2007 because it was built in a borrowed piece of land. But we reconstruct our church building again in a borrow land and it is in dangered to be demolish again in the future if we could not have our own lot to construct our permanent church building.
Please pray for us!
For the Lord and his harvest,
REV.EMERENCIANO F. FALLA