Untangled Faith 148: Inside the Megachurch Machine: Abuse, Accountability, and Christian Nationalism with Scott Latta
Oct 28, 2025
Scott Latta, a religion journalist and author of 'Gods of the Smoke Machine,' dives deep into the dynamics of megachurches. He discusses their surprising growth amid declining overall church attendance and the impact on smaller churches, including the troubling trend of cannibalization. Latta highlights the emotional toll scandals have on congregants and the importance of centering survivor voices. He unpacks issues of accountability in these massive institutions, critiquing faux systems while emphasizing how megachurches are increasingly engaging in politics, shaping the landscape of Christian nationalism.
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Megachurch Growth Through Consolidation
- Megachurches are growing even as overall church attendance declines because they consolidate congregations into fewer, larger churches.
- The franchise, multi-site model lets megachurches expand without a single massive campus and absorb struggling smaller churches.
Visiting A Tiny Campus Of A 40,000 Church
- Scott visited a Christ's Church of the Valley site with about 150 people but learned the church claims 40,000 across 18 locations.
- He observed megachurches buying struggling church buildings post-COVID to create new satellite sites.
Scale Multiplies Harm
- Harm in megachurches scales: abusive leaders at large churches can wound tens of thousands at once and dissolve entire networks.
- The pastor-as-brand dynamic makes these churches fragile and intensifies congregational grief when leaders fall.
