Again, what qualification is “influential” is it “how big” is it “how many churches model this church” is it “lives changed” is it “nations touched by the sending out of missionaries” ?

I found it interesting that these churches covered a wide portion of the US (even Hawaii), except for the Northeast. I guess megachurches don’t fluorish as well there.

don -
I agree with you about cultural differences. I have relatives in Indiana and I marvel at the difference in the two cultures. I actually think that kids there grow up in a more nurturing,
less cynical way. The big churches here in the Northeast seem to be either old established churches or relatively new charismatic churches. But I don’t think even these churches which probably run from 1,000 to 5,000 at most come close to the megachurches in other parts of the country. By the way, I live in Southern NJ and it is an entirely different culture from Northern NJ which is IMHO an extension of New York City culture - very fast, more confrontational. Southern NJ is more rural (although developers are changing that) and we still have a lot of acreage in farmland. Anyway, lists can be fun and stimulating.