Nigeria is a large country with many churches. It’s rare that you’ll travel to a place and not find a church there. There are churches all around the country.
Given that Nigeria has the highest percentage of Christian citizens in all of Africa, it is clear that Nigerians take their faith very seriously. It is also not a surprise that Nigeria has some of the richest pastors in Africa and (richest pastors) in the World.
There are many flourishing churches in Nigeria, and this article will be listing the top 10 biggest churches in Nigeria. We ranked these churches based on attendance, seating capacity, influence on the local and global levels, popularity, and founders’ reputations.
Nigeria’s Top Ten Largest Churches in 2023
These churches are not new to us; I will mention them below. They are well-known household names in Nigeria;
1. The Redeemed Christian Church of God
The Redeemed Christian Church of God
Redeem Church or RCCG is the most common abbreviation for the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Since its founding in 1952 by Pa Josiah Akindayomi, the founder and first general overseer of the redeemed Christian church of God, who later passed away in 1980, it has grown to become the largest church in Nigeria as of 2023.
After being appointed as a pastor by Pa Josiah in 1975, Pastor Enoch Adeboye later rose to the position of the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1981. Since then, he has continued to serve as the senior pastor of the large assembly.
Redeemed churches have branches in all 36 states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory. This is not news. They have been planted in every corner of the nation, on every street, and in every Nigerian metropolis. There are more than 50,000 members of RCCG. The redemption camp, which is now known as the redemption city, is situated on more than 40,000 hectares of land in the state of Ogun, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Numerous studies have proven that at the redemption camp, the church counted over a million worshipers all at once. It has a university called the Redeemers University and its headquarter is located at Ebute Metta, Lagos State.
The church today has more than 23,880 parishes spread over 196 nations and more than 5 million members worldwide.
2. Salvation Ministries
Salvation Ministries
Pastor David Ibiyeomie established the Salvation Ministry in 1997. Its main headquarter is located in Portharcourt. The church features a huge auditorium known as The Hand of God Auditorium, which has a five-fingered cyndrical construction and is the largest church auditorium in Nigeria with a capacity for 120,000 people.
3. Dunamis International Gospel Center
Dunamis Center, the second-largest church in Nigeria, has the 2nd largest auditorium. Pastor Paul Eneche and Dr. Becky Eneche founded the ministry in 1996. The Glory Sanctuary Dome, which has a capacity of 100,000 seats, is where the dunamis ministry is headquartered. It is situated in Abuja, Nigeria. Another name for the church auditorium is “The Lord’s Garden”.
4. Champions Royal Assembly
Pastor Joshua Iginla established Champions Royal Assembly as a prophetic and deliverance ministry. The church can accommodate 80,000 people and is situated in Abuja, Nigeria. With thousands of members worldwide, the auditorium was inaugurated in 2015.
5. Living Faith Church Worldwide
The fifth on our list and one of the largest churches in Nigeria is The Winners Chapel. In 1981, Bishop David Oyedepo founded the Living Faith Church. Bishop David is reputed to be one of the wealthiest pastors in Africa and the richest pastor in Nigeria. Living Faith Church is generally referred to as Winners Chapel.
Canaanland is the common name for the church auditorium, and it is situated in Ota, Ogun State.
On a 10,500-acre plot of property in Ogun State, the church is home to more than 50,000 worshipers. With more than 6 million members spread throughout 146 nations, the church is a worldwide network of Christians.
According to research, Winners Chapel’s auditorium was the largest church in the world in 2008 as stated in the Guinness World Book of Records.
6. Word of Life Bible Church
The Word of Life Bible Church has a building called the International Gospel Center, which was completed in 2000. With a capacity of 35,000 people, it is one of the biggest church auditoriums in Nigeria.
The church, which is owned by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and is situated in Warri, Delta State in Nigeria, was founded in 1987. Word of Life is a global megachurch with members in over 70 nations.
7. Deeper Life Bible Church
Since its inception, Deeper Life has grown from 15 members to over 65,000 people worldwide. The ministry was founded in 1973 and is owned by Pastor Williams Folorunsho Kumuyi. With thousands of members throughout the nation, it is one of the biggest churches in Nigeria.
The church has a camp with 30,000 seats in Gbagada, Lagos State, and it has an underground parking facility that can hold more than 200 cars at once.
The church structure costs up to $4 billion and it has members in more than 60 different nations in the world.
8. Mountain of Fire Miracles Ministries (MFM)
Dr. Daniel Olukoya founded MFM in 1987, and it initially began as a prayer gathering in his living room. Its church auditorium, known as Prayer City, has a seating capacity of 500,000 and is situated on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. A covered area of the auditorium has a capacity for 250,000 worshipers at once.
The church, which has locations around the nation and the world, is well renowned for its intercessory ministry, and a variety of miracles.
9. The Apostolic Church (TAC)
One of the most prominent Pentecostal ministries in Nigeria, the Apostolic Church was established in 1918 and has been around for a while, and it entered Nigeria as an offshoot of The Apostolic Church UK. Over 5 million people worldwide are currently members of the church. With over a thousand branches around Nigeria, its auditorium, known as the TAC camp, is situated in Ketu, Lagos State, and has space for 100,000 worshipers.
10. Christ Embassy
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is the owner and founder of Believer Love World, a global organization with a presence throughout Nigeria.
Christ Embassy was founded in 1987, and it has an auditorium in Lagos that can hold 40,000 worshipers. It also has branches all over the world, including in Nigeria, Europe, Canada, South Africa, and the United States. It also has a significant presence in Nigeria’s university institutions.
Conclusion
We ranked the largest churches in Nigeria based on their impact, influence, and the capacity of their auditorium, as well as the popularity and influence of the founders, and the General Overseers.
However, Here is a table that outlines the top 10 biggest churches in Nigeria, alongside their locations
| Rank | Church | Capacity | Location |
| 1 | Redeemed Christian Church of God | 1,000,000 | Ogun State |
| 2 | Salvation Ministries | 120,000 | Ogun State |
| 3 | Dunamis International Gospel Centre | 100,000 | Abuja |
| 4 | Champions Royal Assembly | 80,000 | Abuja |
| 5 | Living Faith Church Worldwide | 50,000 | Ogun State |
| 6 | Word of Life Bible Church | 35,000 | Delta State |
| 7 | The Apostolic Church | 100,000 | Lagos State |
| 8 | Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries | 500,000 | Ogun State |
| 9 | Deeper Life Bible Church | 30,000 | Lagos State |
| 10 | Christ Embassy | 40,000 | Lagos State |
Sources: Allbaze, Naija Extreme
Read More: Biggest Churches in the World | Popular Pastors in Nigeria
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