Who are effective speakers and why are they successful? This question plagued my brain as I attempted to fulfill my dream. I perused christian television for answers, as if a promenade program dictated success. I began to ask what ministry has a large sunday attendance and who is the pastor? How do these men command audiences of thousands even tens of thousands on a weekly basis? What is the key? Viewing one ministry after another I noticed a jumbled mess of style. Styles ranging from mainline denominational rhetoric to motivational moments encapsulated in a video presentation. But their had to be a key. What style was truly effective?
The answer to the question was simple yet complex.
Before we introduce the answer, lets look at the statistics (updated from my original findings).
The Christian Post recorded the following information recently:
Top 10 Largest U.S. Churches
1. Lakewood Church, Houston Texas – Joel Osteen (47,000)
2. Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Ill. – Bill Hybels (23,500)
3. Second Baptist Church, Houston – Ed Young Sr. (23,198)
4. Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif. – Rick Warren (22,000)
5. LifeChurch.tv, Edmond, Okla. – Craig Groeschel (19,907)
6. Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky. – Dave Stone (18,013)
7. North Point Church, Alpharetta, Ga. – Andy Stanley (17,700)
8. Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va. – Jonathan Falwell (17.445)
9. Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Bob Coy (17,000)
10. The Potter’s House, Dallas – T.D. Jakes (17,000)
Top 10 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches
1. Iglesia Cristiana Segadores de Vida, Hollywood, Fla. – Ruddy and Maria Gracia (grew by 3,050; 109 percent)
2. Community of Faith, Cypress, Texas – Mark Shock (grew by 2,200; 163 percent)
3. Valley Bible Fellowship, Bakersfield, Calif. – Ron Vietti (grew by 3,600; 52 percent)
4. Community Christian Church, Naperville, Ill. – Dave Ferguson (grew by 2,230; 81 percent)
5. The ROC (Richmond Outreach Center), Richmond, Va. – Geronimo Aguilar (grew by 2,100; 100 percent)
6. New Life Church, Conway, Ark. – Rick Bezet (grew by 2,000; 108 percent)
7. Living Hope Church, Vancouver, Wash. – John Bishop (grew by 2,223; 75 percent)
8. Elevation Church, Charlotte, N.C., Steven Furtick (grew by 1,965; 444 percent)
9. Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va. – Jonathan Falwell (grew by 4,750; 37 percent)
10. Flamingo Road Church, Cooper City, Fla. – Troy Gramling (grew by 2,040; 51 percent)
In 2007 The Christian Report published a list of the most influential christian leaders to date.
The Top 50 Most Influential Christian Leaders
1. JOEL OSTEEN – LAKE WOOD CHURCH Houston, Texas
2. BILLY GRAHAM – BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION Charlotte, N.C.
3. BILL HYBELS – WILLOW CREEK COMMUNITY CHURCH South Barrington, Ill.
4. BISHOP T.D. JAKES – THE POTTER’S HOUSE Dallas, Texas
5. JAMES C. DOBSON- PH.D. FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Colorado Springs, Colo.
6. PAUL CROUCH TRINITY – BROADCASTING NETWORK Santa Ana, Calif.
7. JOYCE MEYER – JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES Fenton, Mo.
8. LEONARD SWEET – DREW THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL Madison, N.J.
9. JOHN PIPER – BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH Minneapolis, Minn.
10. ROB BELL – MARS HILL BIBLE CHURCH Grandville, Mich.
11. GEORGE W. BUSH – PRESIDENT Washington, D.C.
12. ERWIN MCMANUS – MOSAIC Los Angeles, Calif.
13. DR. ROBERT H. SCHULLER – CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL Garden Grove, Calif.
14. William Franklin Graham III – SAMARITAN’S PURSE Boone, N.C.
15. LUIS PALAU – THE PALAU ASSOCIATION Portland, Oregon
16. DR. RICK WARREN – SADDLEBACK CHURCH Lake Forest, Calif.
17. CHUCK COLSON – PRISON FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES Lansdowne, Va. 18. PAUL CROUCH JR. TRINITY BROADCASTING NETWORK Santa Ana, Calif.
19. PAULA WHITE – PAULA WHITE MINISTRIES Tampa, Fla.
20. ANDY STANLEY – NORTH POINT MINISTRIES Multiple Locations, Georgia
21. JONI EARECKSON TADA – JONI AND FRIENDS Agoura Hills, Calif.
22. BISHOP HARRY R. JACKSON JR. – HOPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH College Park, Md.
23. DR. R. ALBERT MOHLER JR. – THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Louisville, Ky.
24. ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ – ANGEL MINISTRIES Raleigh, N.C.
25. JAY ALAN SEKULOW – AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE Washington, D.C.
26. ED YOUNG JR. – FELLOWSHIP CHURCH Dallas, Texas
27. CHUCK SWINDOLL – INSIGHT FOR LIVING Plano, Texas
28. DR. JACK W. HAYFORD – THE KING’S COLLEGE AND SEMINARY Van Nuys, Calif.
29. TOMMY BARNETT – PHOENIX -FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD Phoenix, Ariz.
30. MARCUS LAMB – DAYSTAR Dallas, Texas
31. DR. RICHARD LAND – THE ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION
32. DR. CHARLES F. STANLEY – IN TOUCH MINISTRIES Atlanta, Ga.
33. MAX LUCADO – UPWORDS San Antonio, Texas
34. BISHOP EDDIE L. LONG – NEW BIRTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH Lithonia, Ga.
35. JOHN C. MAXWELL – INJOY Atlanta, Ga.
36. DR. JOHN C. HAGEE – CORNERSTONE CHURCH San Antonio, Texas
37. DR. JAMES KENNEDY – PH.D. CORAL RIDGE MINISTRIES Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
38. DR. GEORGE BARNA – THE BARNA GROUP Ventura, Calif.
39. ROD PARSLEY – WORLD HARVEST CHURCH Columbus, Ohio
40. JERRY FALWELL – JERRY FALWELL MINISTRIES Lynchburg, Va.
41. SAM BROWNBACK – SENATOR Kansas
42. JOHN MACARTHUR – GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH Sun Valley, Calif.
43. DR. JOHN VAUGHAN – CHURCH GROWTH TODAY Bolivar, Mo.
44. BETH MOORE – LIVING PROOF MINISTRIES Houston, Texas
45. MICHAEL SLAUGHTER – GINGHAMSBURG CHURCH Tipp City, Ohio
46. PHILL VISCHER – VEGGIETALES
47. DR. FRANK PAGE – SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
DR. CREFLO A. DOLLAR – WORLD CHANGERS INTERNATIONAL College Park, Ga.
49. CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, PH.D. – ARCHBISHOP OF WASHINGTON Washington, D.C.
50. FRANK SOMMERVILL – WEYCER, KAPLAN, PULASKI & ZUBER, P.C. Dallas, Texas
After reviewing these list and several others touting todays most influential church, leader, or pastor, I have stumbled on to the answer. Style and effectiveness are forever tied together and constantly at odds. While each leader and/or pastor possesses a certain style that lends to their effectiveness, they are each the constant individual. While some share similar traits in style no one is exactly the same. Their effectiveness is tied to the fact they OWN their style. some as simple as staying constant has allowed great success. Style comes in many forms. From the post-modern contemporary to the evangelical conservative, style is your choice. Make the choice and OWN it.
