Prestonwood Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
Prestonwood Baptist Church, in Plano, Texas
, is one of the largest megachurch
es in North America
and one of America's 50 Most Influential Churches according to a 2007 survey of church leaders. The main campus covers an area of 140 acre (0.21875019341305 sq mi; 0.5665604 km²), and includes a 7,000-seat worship center, a school offering Pre-Kindergarten
through Grade 12, a fitness center, a sports stadium, sports fields, a large cafe, a library, and two bookstores. In 2006, the church expanded to include a second "North" campus of nearly 128 acre (0.200000176834789 sq mi; 0.51799808 km²) in Prosper, Texas
.. In 2011 the church is again expanding adding a "Dallas" campus near LBJ Freeway and Hillcrest.
tradition. It also has Bible Fellowship classes, a 498-member church choir, and specialized ministries
for children, students and Spanish speakers, as well as mission outreach at local and global levels. The church operates a sports ministry, known as PSO (Prestonwood Sports Organization), which offers youth baseball
and soccer leagues, each serving approximately 1,000 children annually with youth football
and basketball
; adult basketball, soccer, softball
and other activity programs.
In 1989, Dr. Jack Graham
replaced Weber as Senior Pastor of Prestonwood, by this time considered a "megachurch" due to its rapid expansion, and one of the fastest-growing churches in the United States.
ing.
2006 saw the continued expansion of Prestonwood with the opening of its second campus in Prosper, Texas, near U.S. Highway 380
and Dallas Parkway
. That same year, the church also completed a new children's wing and updated its facilities for PowerPoint Ministries, including an upgrade to High Definition (HDTV).
The church reached the 27,000-member mark in 2008, with regular attendance at worship services averaging around 14,000.
. Until recently, Prestonwood was home to the festival, one of the nation's largest Christmas pageants, as well as one of the top-rated Christmas-related events in the state of Texas. Each year the festival featured thirteen performances attended by almost 70,000 members of the public. Despite its popularity, the festival has not been held since 2006 and has been replaced by the two-performance Gloria Christmas show.
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, is one of the largest megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
es in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and one of America's 50 Most Influential Churches according to a 2007 survey of church leaders. The main campus covers an area of 140 acre (0.21875019341305 sq mi; 0.5665604 km²), and includes a 7,000-seat worship center, a school offering Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
through Grade 12, a fitness center, a sports stadium, sports fields, a large cafe, a library, and two bookstores. In 2006, the church expanded to include a second "North" campus of nearly 128 acre (0.200000176834789 sq mi; 0.51799808 km²) in Prosper, Texas
Prosper, Texas
Prosper is a town in Collin and Denton counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,097 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,097 people, 678 households, and 589 families residing in the town. The latest 2009 census brought Prosper to a population of...
.. In 2011 the church is again expanding adding a "Dallas" campus near LBJ Freeway and Hillcrest.
Ministry
With a staff of almost 40 ministers, Prestonwood provides biblical teachings and worship services in the BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
tradition. It also has Bible Fellowship classes, a 498-member church choir, and specialized ministries
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
for children, students and Spanish speakers, as well as mission outreach at local and global levels. The church operates a sports ministry, known as PSO (Prestonwood Sports Organization), which offers youth baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and soccer leagues, each serving approximately 1,000 children annually with youth football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
; adult basketball, soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and other activity programs.
History
Prestonwood was founded on February 6, 1977, as an offshoot of Northway Baptist Church. Under founding pastor Bill Weber, the new organization grew considerably, and within six years had constructed a 4,000-seat worship center. By 1988, Prestonwood had grown to 11,000 members and the same year, Pastor Weber confessed to an extramarital affair and stepped down from the pulpit.In 1989, Dr. Jack Graham
Jack Graham (pastor)
Jack Graham is the Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church and the voice of PowerPoint Ministries, the broadcast ministry of Prestonwood. Prestonwood is one of the United States’s largest congregations, with a membership exceeding 28,000....
replaced Weber as Senior Pastor of Prestonwood, by this time considered a "megachurch" due to its rapid expansion, and one of the fastest-growing churches in the United States.
Broadcast outreach
In April 1994, Prestonwood launched a broadcast ministry called PowerPoint Ministries with Dr. Jack Graham, which is today broadcast globally on television and radio as well as available online and through audio and video podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
ing.
Expansion
The church's leadership began plans for the existing 7,000-seat worship center in 1994 where services were first held on May 2, 1999. The church continued to expand its facilities throughout the next decade. Soon after the opening of the new worship center, the first phase of the new Prestonwood Sports and Fitness Center (SFC) was completed. In August 2003, the church completed the second phase of the building, which featured a new chapel, a 100 feet (30.5 m) "tower of faith" topped by a cross, a student ministry area, restaurant and commons, additional space for Bible fellowship and administrative offices. Two years later, the Prestonwood Christian Academy High School opened on the west side of the church campus.2006 saw the continued expansion of Prestonwood with the opening of its second campus in Prosper, Texas, near U.S. Highway 380
U.S. Route 380
U.S. Route 380 is an east–west United States highway. The highway's eastern terminus is in Greenville, Texas at an intersection with Interstate 30, of which the easternmost 3–4 miles are co-located with US 69 in a loop around the west and south sides of Greenville. Its western terminus is at...
and Dallas Parkway
Dallas North Tollway
The Dallas North Tollway is a controlled-access toll road operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority , which runs from Interstate 35E near downtown Dallas, Texas , to U.S...
. That same year, the church also completed a new children's wing and updated its facilities for PowerPoint Ministries, including an upgrade to High Definition (HDTV).
The church reached the 27,000-member mark in 2008, with regular attendance at worship services averaging around 14,000.
Growth
While Prestonwood can be considered a part of the "megachurch movement" within Protestant Christianity, its size and expansion are above-average even for the standard megachurch, which is defined as a church with an average weekend attendance of 2,000 or more. One factor which may have contributed to the church's popularity is its participation in the Dallas Christmas FestivalDallas Christmas Festival
The Dallas Christmas Festival is one of the largest Christmas pageants in the nation, and is one of the top rated Christmas-related events in the state of Texas. It takes place in the Worship Center of Prestonwood Baptist Church, in Plano Texas...
. Until recently, Prestonwood was home to the festival, one of the nation's largest Christmas pageants, as well as one of the top-rated Christmas-related events in the state of Texas. Each year the festival featured thirteen performances attended by almost 70,000 members of the public. Despite its popularity, the festival has not been held since 2006 and has been replaced by the two-performance Gloria Christmas show.
Wrongdoing
In May 2008, 52-year-old Joe Barron, a new minister at the church, allegedly solicited sex from an officer posing online as a 13-year-old girl. Two days later, Senior Pastor Jack Graham addressed the scandal from the pulpit. In his address, Dr. Graham said the accused pastor had been asked to resign and had done so.External links
- Prestonwood Baptist Church official website
- PowerPoint with Jack Graham official website of PowerPoint Ministries