Megachurch Discontents and Mainline Church Structures in Singapore: Affective Cultures, Spiritual Growth and Contested Religious Intimacies

Megachurches have many recruiting advantages compared to smaller churches from mainline denominations which operate on more conventional church models. Megachurch leadership and liturgies are dedicated to the creation of an attractive and affective culture intended to draw and retain large numbers of congregants. Singapore, like some other locations in the Global South (such as the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia), has seen rapid growth in its megachurches in past decades. Yet in recent years this growth may have slowed, and there has been a noticeable phenomenon of people leaving megachurches to return to smaller, mainline churches. This study of megachurch leavers in Singapore examines some of the reasons for dissatisfaction with megachurches, and seeks to explain this in the context of Singapore Christianity. It points to the persistence of a form of religious intimacy, based on notions of spiritual development and growth, which the structured organisation and pulpit teaching of mainline and smaller churches may be better able to provide.