Churches in Missouri

Religious Landscape of Missouri

Missouri sits at the crossroads of Northern, Southern, and Western religious traditions. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant body, with nearly 2,000 congregations and strength concentrated in the southern half of the state, which is culturally part of the Bible Belt. The Catholic Church is the largest single denomination, anchored by the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, which was historically one of the most important Catholic centers west of the Mississippi. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis is renowned for its mosaic art collection. Springfield, Missouri serves as the international headquarters of the Assemblies of God, and James River Church, one of the denomination's flagship congregations, draws nearly 19,000 weekly. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which takes its name from the state, was founded in Perry County in 1847 and maintains its seminary in St. Louis. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations are numerous, reflecting Missouri's role as a center of the Stone-Campbell movement. Kansas City and St. Louis are religiously diverse metro areas with significant Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities. Missouri's adherence rate of about 50% is at the national average, with sharp internal contrasts between the churchgoing Ozarks and the more secular urban cores.