FAITH
IN DFW
GETTING SETTLED IN DFW
The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is a
unique area when it comes to religion.
According to Sperling’s Best Places, it’s
one of the most religiously active areas in
the nation; they estimate that more than
55% of the population considers itself religious, compared to under 49% nationwide. Like most states, the majority of religious Texans have some form or Christian
faith, although denominational breakdown is different. In the nation, about
19% of people are Catholic. Although
one might expect this number to be higher
in a state bordering predominantly
Catholic Mexico, DFW has considerably
fewer Catholics, at only 13%.
Instead, DFW has more than twice the
national average of Baptists. The
Metroplex is also home to considerably
more Methodists and nondenominational
Christians. What does that mean for the
landscape of worship? It all adds up to
rich fodder for mega church culture.
Northern Texas is known as the “Buckle of
the Bible Belt,” meaning that not only is it
home to many Christians, but that
worshipers in the area also have a very
“Texan” way of being Christian. At one
time or another, Dallas has been home to
the nation’s largest Episcopal,
Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and Southern
Baptist congregations. Religion, like
almost everything else in Texas, is bigger
and glitzier than in just about any other
part of the country.
Dallas is home to what many consider to be
the first modern mega church, The First
Baptist Church of Dallas. While certainly
not the largest church in Dallas today, First
Baptist was the model for all mega
churches that followed, particularly other
Baptist mega churches. A mega church has
anywhere from several thousands of
members to 10-, 20-, or upwards of
30,000 members and one or many
monolith-sized facilities, on campuses that
can seem like cities of their own. The largest
churches often feature stadium seating,
concert-quality sound and lighting, and
televise their worship for those who cannot
attend or simply don’t fit in the same room.
Dallas has an unusually large number of
mega churches.
It’s against this backdrop of mega church
culture in Dallas, that the annual Mega Fest
is set. Mega Fest is a revival led by
celebrity evangelist Bishop T. D. Jakes. Not
surprisingly, Bishop Jakes is also the founder
of one of the largest mega churches in the
nation — and the largest in DFW — The
Potter’s House. Christians from every
denomination and from all over the country
flock to Dallas every year to take part in the
largest revival in the nation.
While the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is
known for its leadership in the mega church
phenomenon, there are other religions that
also make true the saying “everything’s
bigger in Texas.” Eastern populations have
been booming in Texas, and with them
come eastern religions, such as Buddhism
and Hinduism. DFW is also home to more
than three times the national average of
Muslims and the largest Jewish Synagogue
in the South/Southwestern United States.
There are also some fantastic and influential
churches, synagogues, temples, and
mosques with fewer than one thousand
members.
While the landscape of worship in DFW
offers a plethora of ways to develop one’s
spirituality, it can be a difficult landscape
to navigate — especially for those who
are new to the area. The following is a list
of the Top 25 Houses of Worship in the
DFW area. While they are ranked by
congregation size, church planting,
impact on the community, innovation, and
