Optimal Church Size: The Bigger the Better?

Abstract

Large congregations are often plagued by free-riders members who participate, but do not contribute. However, large congregations also enjoy lower costs per member. On balance, as congregations grow, their revenues rise faster than the costs of providing services to their members. The extra monies fund disproportionate amounts of local benevolence programs and synodical and national church ministries. Unfortunately, large congregations have not parlayed their financial advantage into membership gains. Since increased benevolence boosts external ministry to others more than internal ministry to members themselves, members of small congregations have little incentive to move to larger, more efficient ones. Small congregations continue to survive and members will not passively abandon them.