US Church Directory
4,321 churches across 14 states
190 churches · 1 city
585 churches · 3 cities
212 churches · 1 city
230 churches · 1 city
256 churches · 1 city
192 churches · 1 city
171 churches · 1 city
408 churches · 2 cities
225 churches · 1 city
229 churches · 1 city
181 churches · 1 city
387 churches · 2 cities
860 churches · 4 cities
195 churches · 1 city
Christianity in America
Key statistics and denomination breakdown across the United States
Religious Affiliation in America
Share of US adults by religious tradition — Source: Pew Research Center 2023
Did You Know?
Fast facts about Christianity across the United States
Denominations in Our Directory
Breakdown of 4,321 churches across 14 states in the ChurchAlpha directory
About Major Christian Denominations
Theological traditions, history, and regional presence of America's largest church families
Baptist
~16 millionBaptists emphasise believer's baptism, congregational church governance, and the authority of Scripture. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) — headquartered in Nashville — is the largest Protestant denomination in the US. Baptists are concentrated in the South and Midwest, giving the region its "Bible Belt" identity.
Catholic
~68 millionThe Catholic Church traces its authority through apostolic succession to the early church. With 68 million members, it is the single largest Christian body in the US. Catholics are concentrated in the Northeast, Midwest, and along the US–Mexico border, reflecting Irish, Italian, Polish, and Latino immigrant heritage.
Nondenominational
~50 million attendeesNondenominational churches affiliate with no larger denomination and govern themselves independently. They are typically evangelical in theology, contemporary in worship style, and represent the fastest-growing segment of American Christianity. Megachurches like Lakewood Church (Houston) and Saddleback Church are nondenominational.
Methodist
~6.5 millionMethodism grew out of the 18th-century revival movement of John Wesley. American Methodists are historically associated with social reform — including the abolitionist and temperance movements. The United Methodist Church is the largest mainline Protestant body in the US, with strength in the South and Midwest.
Pentecostal
~9 millionPentecostalism emphasises the gifts of the Holy Spirit — particularly speaking in tongues — and energetic, Spirit-led worship. The Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ are the two largest Pentecostal bodies. Pentecostalism is one of the fastest-growing Christian movements globally and is strong in urban communities across the South.
Episcopal
~1.7 millionThe Episcopal Church is the US branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, rooted in the Church of England. Known for liturgical worship, theological breadth, and social progressivism, it draws members from historically Anglican and educated communities, concentrated in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.
Presbyterian
~1.4 millionPresbyterian churches are governed by elected elders (presbyters) rather than bishops. Reformed in theology, they trace their roots to the Scottish Reformation of John Knox. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian body. Presbyterians have historically been influential in American education and public life.
Lutheran
~3.3 millionLutheranism was the first Protestant tradition to reach America, carried by German and Scandinavian immigrants in the 17th–19th centuries. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod are the two largest bodies, with particular strength in the upper Midwest — Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas.
Understanding Christianity in America
Why Are There So Many Denominations?
The United States has more Christian denominations than any other country — over 200 distinct bodies, ranging from the Catholic Church with 68 million members to tiny independent congregations with fewer than 50. This diversity is rooted in American religious freedom: no state church, no official religion, and a culture of individualism that has encouraged new movements, splits, and reformations from colonial times to the present.
The Bible Belt and Regional Patterns
Church density and affiliation vary dramatically by region. The Deep South — Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas — forms the so-called Bible Belt, where Baptist and nondenominational churches dominate and weekly attendance rates exceed 50%. The Northeast and mid-Atlantic states have strong Catholic populations from Irish, Italian, and Eastern European immigration. The upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas) retains significant Lutheran communities descended from Scandinavian settlers. The Southwest and California blend evangelical megachurches with growing Latino Catholic communities.
The Rise of Nondenominational Churches
The fastest-growing segment of American Christianity is nondenominational churches — congregations that affiliate with no larger body and govern themselves independently. Typically evangelical in theology, contemporary in worship style, and often led by charismatic senior pastors, nondenominational churches now account for roughly 6% of US adults and a significantly higher share of weekly churchgoers. Many of America's largest "megachurches" — Lakewood in Houston, Life.Church in Oklahoma, Willow Creek near Chicago — are nondenominational. In our directory, nondenominational churches make up 33% of all listings.
Evangelical vs. Mainline Protestants
The distinction between "evangelical" and "mainline" is theological more than denominational. Evangelical churches emphasise personal conversion, biblical authority, and active evangelism — the Billy Graham tradition. Mainline churches (Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran) have longer institutional histories, more liturgical worship, and tend toward theological and social progressivism. Since the 1970s, evangelical churches have grown steadily while mainline churches have declined by roughly 40% — a trend that reflects broader cultural shifts toward individualism and away from inherited religious identity.
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