Number of Asian American churches in the USA

While the number of Asian American churches is not constantly measured and tracked, these estimates can be useful to inform the numerous ministry opportunities.*

2016 Statistics for estimated number of Asian churches in the United States (with cited sources linked and annotated footnotes):

Estimate Asian Ethnicity  
4,653 Korean [k]
1,679 Chinese [c]
1,317 Asian Indian [e]
300 Vietnamese [v]
200 Filipino [f]
190 Japanese [j]
171 Hmong  [h]
124 Indonesian [d]
120 Pakistani [e]
110 Nepali [e]
80 Cambodian [se]
48 Lao [1]
33 Thai [t]
20 Bangladeshi [e]
15 Sri Lankan [e]
15 Burmese [b]**
9,075 [estimated total]  

Footnotes:

[*] “Ethnic network data is not collected or updated consistently, so it is difficult to develop a clear profile of congregations, membership, and pastoral leadership. Here are some examples: Dr. John Mizuki of the Japanese Evangelization Center (U. S. Center for World Mission) in Pasadena, California, lists 190 Japanese American congregations with an estimated membership of 32,573. The 2001 Korean Church Directory of America lists 3,402 Korean Protestant churches. About half of the Korean churches are Presbyterian, but substantial numbers are Methodist, Baptist, nondenominational, Catholic and Charismatic churches. … The 2000-2001 Directory of Chinese Churches, Bible Study Groups, & Christian Organizations in North America lists 819 Chinese Protestant churches in the United States. Raymond Williams estimated 110,000 to 125,000 Asian Indian Christians in 1995.” — Page 19 of Asian American Religious Leadership Today: A Preliminary Inquiry published by the Pulpit & Pew: Research on Pastoral Leadership (Durham, NC: Duke Divinity School, 2005).

[k] John Oh and Chandler Im, “Trends and issues of the Korean Diaspora Churches in the USA” in Scattered and Gathered: Global Compendium on Diaspora Missiology (2015)

[c] entries in the Chinese Christian Churches and Organizations Directory (2014, managed by 中華基督教網路發展協會), via djchuang.com/2014/many-chinese-churches-usa

[j] extrapolated from 153 Japanese American churches are listed at jems.org/churches

[e] Dr. Sam George for Ethnic America Network and Lausanne Movement

[v] cf. Directory of Vietnamese Pastors & Churcheswww.cmalliance.org/district/vietnamese

[h] CM&A cmalliance.org/district/hmong and SBC Asian Advisory Council report (2015)

[se] Southeast Asian churches estimates from contacts at CM&A and SBC, cf. cmalliance.org/locate/church?dc=63

[1] cf. Laotian churches reported in SBC Asian Advisory Council report (2015)

[t] cf. across.co.nz/ThaiChurches.html

[f] cf. National Association of Filipino American United Methodists; Godfrey Catanus

[d] cf. www.sahabatsurgawi.net/gereja_dunia/usa.html

[b] cf. lamcf.org/?page_id=421www.fbbcsf.org/burmesechurches.htm

* first edition initially posted at l2foundation.org


In a March 2020 presentation at Wheaton College by Dr. Sam George, the estimated total was 12,000 Asian American churches.