Who pastors the largest organized church in the world?

Dr. Yaye Dion Robert, EPBOMI Senior Pastor

For many years, it has been thought that the largest church in the world is found in Seoul, South Korea. Yoido Full Gospel Church claims to have 800,000 members, but only 25% of this number shows up on weekends for their services. Now don't get me wrong, 200,000 involved members in a church is no small thing ... but it doesn't make this church the largest in the world. They have a new senior pastor due to a scandal, and my prayer is that he can support this church with continued growth through the challenges they face and the fact that there are 17--count them seventeen!-- gigachurches in South Korea whose average size dwarfs megachurches in the US like Lakewood here in Houston, Texas at a "scant" 40,000 attendees on weekends (Lakewood doesn't have formal membership).

So who's the biggest?
Currently, the largest church in the world is Eglise Protestante Baptiste Oeuvres Et Mission Internationale (EPBOMI), pastored by Dr. Yaye Dion Robert. This gigachurch is located in Ivory Coast in West Africa. Their attendance at weekend services and their cell groups is cresting 250,000 members from a report I just received, shared by Pastor Robert.

Unlike big churches found in first world countries, there's very little transfer growth. The gates of hell have been stormed, captives have been set free, and the numeric growth of churches like EPBOMI is genuine conversion and Lordship growth. Praise God!

How did they grow so large?

EPBOMI is a cell-based church. There's no comfortable place to sit and soak in this church. They set the bar quite high for membership, and even higher for cell group leadership. The growth of this church didn't happen by pandering to consumers and watering down the Gospel or what is required of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Does church size matter?
Yes. When you become this large, the church has already shifted the culture around it toward the things of God. And if it can remain godly and not fall into scandal from sinfulness and castle-building, it can bring about a lot of other changes around the world.

Oh how the megachurches pastors are falling like flies these days...

Satan remains very busy, whispering in the ears of mega and gigachurch pastors, telling them it's ok to treat others poorly and cover it up or use money the way the world uses money. If you're reading this, please stop and pray for pastors of very large congregations. They've got a big bullseye on their backs and Satan is pointing everything he's got at them to get them to compromise their morals. I often stop and thank the Lord for men of God like Pastor Robert, who lives simply and doesn't draw much of a salary. May God keep him as a humble servant for the task at hand and continue to be an example for us all.