Multi-site church


A multi-site church is a specific church congregation which holds services at multiple geographical locations, either within a specific metropolitan area or, increasingly, several such areas.

Characteristic

Within the multi-site approach, both the primary location and the offsite locations will commonly have their own music worship and announcements pertaining to that congregation. Commonly, though, the sermon will be broadcast via satellite from the primary location, though some churches use on-site ministers to deliver the sermon, but generally it is the same sermon presented to all congregants at all locations.

History

The first church to become multi-site was Highland Park the Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1942.
In 1990, there were 10 multisite churches the United States. In 2014, there were 8,000 multisite churches.
Multi-site churches have also established campuses in prisons.

Controversies

Eddie Gibbs, professor of church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary, stressed some concern over multisite churches, arguing that the multisite church movement "perpetuates the chronic problem that have of undiscipled church members" through a lack of relationship between congregants and the teaching pastor.