From 1892 until 1954 millions of “tired, huddled masses” made the same stop on their way into the United States, Ellis Island. No matter who you were or where you were from, if you were going to be an American, you would have to stop here.

Across the United States, there are approximately 1,300 churches who top out over 2,000, the unofficial definition of a megachurch. For untold thousands, these are the homes where many come to faith. They are the places where everyone in the family can learn the way of Jesus in a format that speaks to their age, race or taste.

They also serve as a sort of “Ellis Island” for many Christians.

Some are raised there. Some come to faith there. Many land at a megachurch because they are new in town. Megachurches have a lot of people and a lot of tasks to do, so it’s easy to jump right in.

For the better part of a decade, I’ve been involved in church planting, and I’ve noticed a trend: Entire groups of people migrating together from one of the local Megachurches to other communities.

My first response to this was cynical and heartless, assuming that they were just religious consumers looking for the next cool thing. That might be true for some of them. I also found that many of them are deeply wounded by their religious experience.

They aren’t “churched,” “unchurched,” “dechurched” or even “church-hoppers.” They are desperately trying to hold on to faith after getting the crap kicked out of them by church.

Megachurches are the first stop for many of today’s Christians. When they leave that church, it is often with wounds that must be treated at their next church.

Seven Church Systems that Chew People Up and Spit them Out

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