Eagle Brook Church is a non denomination multi-site

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

based in

Centerville, Minnesota Centerville is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,792 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Main Stree ...

. It is affiliated with

Converge Converge may refer to: * Converge (band), American hardcore punk band * Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body * Limit (mathematics) * Converge ICT, internet service provider in the Philippines *CONVERGE CFD s ...

. Weekly

church attendance Church attendance is a central religious practice for many Christians; some Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Church require church attendance on the Lord's Day (Sunday); the Westminster Confession of Faith is held by the Reformed Ch ...

was 20,923 people in 2023. The senior pastor is Jason Strand.

History

The church was founded in 1948 as a house Bible study group called the Bethany Baptist Mission, then First Baptist Church, led by Sam and Ethel Hane in

White Bear Lake, Minnesota White Bear Lake is a city in Ramsey County in the state of Minnesota, United States. A small portion of the city also extends into Washington County. The population was 23,769 at the 2010 census. The city is located on White Bear Lake, one o ...

. In 1991,

Bob Merritt Bob Merritt is the retired senior pastor of Eagle Brook Church in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, a megachurch. Early life and education Merritt's father was Calvin Merritt, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Neshannock Townsh ...

became the senior pastor of the 300-member church and retired with an estimated personal wealth of $42 million. In 1995, the church was renamed Eagle Brook Church. The church relocated in 2005 to a new building in

Lino Lakes, Minnesota Lino Lakes is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 21,399 at the 2020 census. Interstates 35W and 35E are two of Lino Lakes's main routes. It is an outer suburb north of the Twin Cities. History When European s ...

, featuring seating capacity for 2,100. One year later, in 2006, the original church building in White Bear Lake reopened due to rapid growth. Upon opening a third location in Spring Lake Park, the church began simulcasting weekend services from the Lino Lakes building to the other campuses. In 2020, Jason Strand became the senior pastor. According to a 2023 church census, it claimed a weekly attendance of 20,923 people. It has opened 10 campuses in different cities in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. In 2024, Eagle Brook Church threatened to sue the city of Plymouth, MN in order to build a 64,000 sq. ft. structure in a residential area; the city council had denied their request 6 to 1 but three council members changed their vote when Eagle Brook Church threatened a lawsuit and heavy pressure from Plymouth mayor Jeff Wosje who attends Eagle Brook Church

Beliefs

The Church has a

confession of faith A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets. The ea ...

and is a member of

. Converge
Members
converge.org, USA, retrieved January 16, 2021 Converge believes that those in the LGBTQ community are sinners and will not allow them to have leadership roles in the church.

Eagle Brook Association

The church founded the Eagle Brook Association in 2006. Its mission is to help other churches reach more people for Christ—locally and around the world. They provide other churches with free resources created by Eagle Brook Church for church partners to share with their own congregations. Since starting in 2006, church partners have in total reported to the Eagle Brook Association that over 118,000 people have become followers of Christ. Eagle Brook Finances: According to its financial reports, in 2023, Eagle Brook Church collected $58 million and gave $3.8 million to charitable works

In 2024, it paid $12 million cash for a 52 acre plot of residential land in Plymouth, MN

Eagle Brook Music

Eagle Brook Music is a contemporary worship music collective from Eagle Brook Church in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. The collective writes and produces its own music as well as leads worship in weekend church services at Eagle Brook Church. Eagle Brook Music also submits their songs to several major streaming services.

References and notes

External links