Prestonwood Baptist Church

Prestonwood Baptist Church, located in Plano, Texas, is one of the largest megachurches in North America and one of America's 50 Most-Influential Churches according to a 2007 survey of church leaders. The main campus is 140 acres (0.219 sq mi; 0.567 km²) and includes a 7,000-seat worship center, a Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade school, fitness center, sports stadium, sports fields, extensive cafe, library, and two bookstores. A second campus of nearly 128 acres (0.200 sq mi; 0.518 km²) in Prosper, Texas was announced in 2006.

Ministry

Prestonwood and its staff of almost 40 ministers provide biblical teaching, worship with a 498-member choir, Bible Fellowship classes for small group connectivity, global missions outreach, sports leagues and camps, children and student ministries, and more.

The sports ministry known as PSO (Prestonwood Sports Organization) offers youth baseball (850-950 children per season) youth soccer (1000+ per year) youth football, youth basketball, adult basketball, adult soccer as part of Spanish ministry, adult softball and many others.

History

The church was started on February 6, 1977, as a church plant of Northway Baptist Church. With founding pastor, Bill Weber at its helm, the church had grown enough in 6 years that a 4,000 seat worship center was completed. In 1988, Pastor Weber confessed to an extramarital affair and stepped down from the pulpit of the 11,000 member church he founded 11 years prior. In 1989 Dr. Jack Graham became the Senior Pastor of what had now become, one of the fastest growing churches in America. In April 1994, PowerPoint Ministries with Jack Graham was launched as the broadcast ministry from Prestonwood. Today, this broadcast can be heard both nationally and internationally on television and radio, as well as watched and heard online and through audio and video podcasting. In 1994, the need for a larger building became apparent to the leadership, and on May 2, 1999, the first service in the current 7,000 seat worship center was held. Soon thereafter the Prestonwood Sports and Fitness Center (SFC) was completed featuring a 3-court sports facility and additional Bible Fellowship space. In August 2003 the second phase of the building was completed, including a new: chapel, tower of faith (100+ foot tower lifting the cross), student ministry area, restaurant and commons, additional bible fellowship space, and administrative offices. In August 2005, the doors of Prestonwood Christian Academy's High School building were opened on the west side of the church's campus.

Prestonwood was formerly home to the Dallas Christmas Festival, which was one of the largest Christmas pageants in the nation, and one of the top rated Christmas-related events in the state of Texas. Each year there were thirteen DCF performances with almost 70,000 in attendance each year. Since the Dallas Christmas Festival has not been held since 2006, they have created a Gloria Christmas show with a reduced show run--only two shows.

The church recently opened a second campus in Prosper, TX, near U.S. Highway 380 and Dallas Parkway, as well as an additional children's wing and new facilities for PowerPoint Ministries including the upgrade to High Definition (HDTV).

The church reached the 27,000 member mark in 2008, with a regular attendance in their worship services hovering around 14,000.

In May 2008, 52-year-old Joe Barron, a new minister at the church, allegedly solicited sex from an officer posing online as a 13-year-old girl. Two days later, Senior Pastor Jack Graham addressed the scandal from the pulpit. In his address, Dr. Graham said the accused pastor had been asked to resign and had done so.

External links

• Prestonwood Baptist Church official website
• PowerPoint with Jack Graham official website of PowerPoint Ministries