MIAMI  In 12 years, New Birth Baptist Church grew its membership to 15,000, making it the largest black church and one of the 10 largest congregations in Florida.
According to the South-Florida Sun-Sentinel, New Birth is part of a wave of ethnic megachurches nationally. The newspaper cited a 2002 survey by church consultant John Vaughn, who counted 122 black congregations with more than 2,000 in Sunday attendance.
New Birth is led by Bishop Victor T. Curry, a preacher, teacher, author, talk-show host and community activist. The church has more than 4,200 in Sunday attendance and runs a radio station, a TV broadcast, a feeding program for more than 300, job training and a hip-hop ministry.
Just last year, 800 people joined the New Birth congregation.
Also following a national trend, New Birth draws not only African Americans, but Haitians, Jamaicans, Bahamians, Nigerians and South Africans with a sprinkling of whites and Hispanics.
One factor of growth noted in the survey is a strong, charismatic pastor, the newspaper reported. Another is activities, often on a scale so large they become an alternate society for members.
