Churches in Texas

Religious Landscape of Texas

Texas is one of the most important states in American religious life, combining the sheer size of its population with exceptionally high rates of religious participation. The Southern Baptist Convention is the dominant Protestant body, with over 5,700 congregations making the Baptist General Convention of Texas one of the most powerful state conventions in the denomination. The Catholic Church is the largest single denomination, serving a massive Hispanic Catholic population that stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. San Antonio's San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the United States. Non-denominational megachurches have thrived in Texas's sprawling suburbs, led by Lakewood Church in Houston, where Joel Osteen preaches to roughly 45,000 weekly in the former Compaq Center. Gateway Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area draws over 36,000 weekly. Churches of Christ are more prevalent in Texas than in any other state, reflecting the Stone-Campbell movement's deep roots in the region. United Methodists have a strong presence across the state, and Texas is also an important center for Hispanic Pentecostalism. Texas's adherence rate of about 53% is above the national average, and the state's religious institutions wield enormous cultural, philanthropic, and political influence.