SHENZHEN, China — America is still the land of mega-churches, but China is fast catching up.
China’s official Protestant church, the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), contains huge congregations often squeezed into small, historic city-center churches. Now a building frenzy is underway to build newer, bigger churches.
According to the Amity Foundation, a new church is built in China every two days. The TSPM builds vast structures to hold upwards of 3,000 members.
In Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, the Dong Guan church has a membership of 20,000.
Another church in the city, the Beshi Street Church, or North Street church, seats 1,000. Four services on Sunday still leaves 2,000 of their members unable to attend.
In addition, this church is responsible for 20 meeting points — places of legal worship but without a pastor. Sometimes these meeting points are larger than the supervising church.
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