Elevation Church experiences 21% growth in attendance since leaving the SBC; tithes and offerings top $100 million
Elevation Church, led by charismatic pastor Steven Furtick with a strong emphasis on Christian worship music, reported more than $100 million in tithes and offerings in 2023, thanks to a significant increase in weekly service attendance.
The North Carolina-based megachurch, which withdrew its membership from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in June 2023, has expanded to 19 branches across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, and Canada. Despite leaving the SBC last year, in-person attendance rose by 21%. The annual report shows $97.28 million in tithes and offerings, with an additional $11.12 million from a year-end offering, which is encouraged as “above and beyond the tithe.”
When the church withdrew its member it did not specify a reason for the withdrawal. However, the action came within weeks of the Southern Baptist messengers voting to kick out Saddleback Church, which Rick Warren founded. Furtick’s wife, Holly, preaches at Elevation to both men and women. The Southern Baptist statement of faith, the Baptist Faith and Message, states that the office of pastor is limited to qualified men, and influential Southern Baptist leaders have emphasized the connection between preaching and the role of pastor.
Elevation Worship operates two not-for-profits, EC Winston LLC and Million Little Miracles, LLC, which allow licensed church staff to serve as general contractors on internal construction projects with a budget of $500,000 or less. Elevation also owns a for-profit company called EC Property Corp., which invested $1.5 million in 1,000 shares of common stock.
Elevation Worship tours with its songs, with just under 180,000 people attending their concerts last year. They recently released a new album, When Wind Meets Fire, with 28 new songs.
Elevation Church also offers 12% of every dollar tithed to support outreach efforts locally, nationally, and globally. The church’s year-end offering season is a tradition, allowing individuals to give above and beyond the tithe.
Sources: premierchristian.news, reachfm.ca, nbcnews.com.