Megachurches 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Calvary Temple also produces 650 television programs per month in seventeen languages, and plans to launch another 40 megachurches like this one in the next ten years. They provide meals for 200k people per month: "service to mankind is service to God."  Their reach is staggering.

"In a society where many people can only dream of having a birthday cake, the church’s volunteers hand deliver a cake to the doorstep of every member on their birthday — almost 4,000 cakes a day." Five 2-hour services take place every Sunday. Despite the cultural caste stratification, all worshipers are seated equally in the sanctuary. 

Mass conversions started happening about 20-30 years ago, according to one observer, and other big churches are growing. Thousands convert from Hindu, Sikh, and other religions weekly. The wave arouses persecution, accusations, anti-conversion laws (photo).

 

Most of the growth is Protestant in nature, since the Catholic Church decided to focus on "making better Hindus" rather than conversions back in the 1960's.

from Stream