Multisite churches are expanding rapidly across the United States, attracting nearly one in 10 Protestant churchgoers, but their growth is increasingly outpacing the development of qualified leaders, according to a new national study.
The findings were presented Wednesday in “The Multisite Revealed National Report,” released by Sean Morgan, founder of The Ascent Leader and architect of the Multisite Project, church researcher Warren Bird, and multisite consultant and author Jim Tomberlin.
The report identified more than 1,800 multisite churches operating over 6,000 campuses nationwide, highlighting the growing influence of congregations that maintain multiple worship locations under a unified organizational structure.
During a webinar introducing the findings, Bird described a multisite congregation as “one church in two or more geographic locations under one board and one budget.”
The study estimates that approximately 5 million Americans attend multisite churches each weekend, representing nearly 10% of Protestant churchgoers. About one in every 185 Protestant churches operates at multiple locations, with such congregations found in every state except Wyoming.
Researchers found that the typical multisite campus draws nearly 400 attendees and experiences annual attendance growth of approximately 8%, considerably exceeding the size and growth rates of many traditional Protestant congregations.
“Do you have to be a megachurch to go multisite?” Bird asked. “The resounding answer is no. In our survey, 36%, just over a third, became multisite when they were under a thousand in attendance.”
Bird said critics had previously warned that widespread use of recorded sermons might concentrate preaching responsibilities among a small number of prominent pastors. However, the survey found that 92% of multisite pastors reported having a teaching team in which someone other than the lead pastor preached at least 10 times annually.
According to the report, 57% of newly established campuses achieved financial sustainability within their first three years. Fifteen percent reached that point within one year, 18% within two years and another 24% within three years. An additional 22% required four years or longer, while 21% had not become financially self-supporting or were not expected to do so.
Startup expenses varied substantially depending on facility requirements and the scale of each project.
“The first year costs are all over the map from one church that said nothing to another church in our survey that said their first year costs were $35 million, and I presume that was for quite a sizable, lovely new facility,” Bird explained.
When establishing additional campuses, churches most frequently relied on new construction and mergers with existing congregations, each accounting for 27% of expansion approaches.
Other approaches included converting commercial properties into worship spaces, reported by 21% of churches, and operating portable campuses that require weekly setup and removal of equipment, used by 15%.
While securing appropriate facilities has historically been one of the most persistent obstacles to multisite expansion, researchers identified a growing shortage of trained leaders as an increasingly urgent concern.
Tomberlin said “the biggest challenge in going multisite” over the past 25 years has been “finding a suitable facility.” However, he warned that the movement now faces mounting pressure to develop enough capable leaders to sustain its expansion.
“The multisite movement and churches individually are growing … at a faster rate than their leadership pipeline can keep up with,” Tomberlin said.
