Updated: January 4, 2019
New York City is home to thousands of churches
of various denominations and traditions. One of it’s boroughs, Brooklyn, is even known as the “Borough of Churches.”
This list highlights the 5 largest Protestant churches located in the boroughs of New York City (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island) — although no church from Staten Island made this list.
The list of the 5 largest churches in New York City is presented in ascending order, with the largest New York City church appearing last.
In addition to the names, sizes, and web addresses, are brief paragraphs giving a little background on each church.
5. Redeemer Presbyterian Church – 5,200
Web: www.redeemer.com
Redeemer Presbyterian Church
is a church of three congregations in NYC on the East side, West Side & Downtown seeking to serve the city socially, spiritually and culturally. The church, led by Pastor Tim Keller, began in early 1989, when a group of 15 people began meeting weekly to pray about starting a new church in Manhattan for professional New Yorkers. (Source)
4. Greater Allen Cathedral of New York – 6,150
Web: http://allencathedral.org
The Greater Allen Cathedral of New York has grown from its predecessor, the Allen A.M.E. Church
, founded in the Jamaica, Queens, community in 1834. The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral is led by the Reverends Floyd H. Flake and Elaine M. Flake.
3. Times Square Church – 8,000
Web: www.tscnyc.org
Times Square Church
, located in Manhattan, is an interdenominational church that welcomes people from all Christian traditions. The church claims more than 8,000 people, representing more than 100 different nationalities, gather to worship together each week. The church describes itself as one that love is building in New York City, the nation and around the world by reaching out to the fatherless, the widows, the oppressed, the destitute, the addicted and the poor. Times Square Church is led by Carter Conlon as its senior pastor. (Source)
2. Brooklyn Tabernacle – 10,000
Web: www.brooklyntabernacle.org
The Brooklyn Tabernacle
is a multicultural, non-denominational church in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. The church began with a handful of members in a small, rundown building in a difficult area of the city, and today it is a congregation of about 10,000 people who attend the weekly services. The church is led by Pastor Jim Cymbala
and his wife Carol Cymbala, who directs the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. (Source)
1. Christian Cultural Center – 13,000
Christian Cultural Center began as a small parish in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, in 1978. The church’s senior pastor and founder, the Rev. A. R. Bernard
, left a 10-year banking career to follow the call of God on his life to full-time ministry. With his wife Karen Bernard at his side, the church began with a small membership, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and reaching out to its local community in the East New York area of Brooklyn. (Source)
This list of the 5 largest churches in New York City used data gathered by the Hartford Seminary, Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
Photo by todd_young
