Lakewood Church - Houston, Texas
Though its pastor, celebrity preacher Joel Osteen, has been in the news of late for having to return pandemic-related loans, the Lakewood Church remains an iconic destination, a nearly 17,000-seat arena. In 2003, the church signed a lease with the City of Houston to take over the former Compaq Center. It’s considered an evangelical non-denominational Christian “mega-church” as it boasts one of the largest congregations in America, with its services broadcast around the world.
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine - New York
Manhattan is host to countless houses of worship, many dramatic, including this cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, which hosts liturgical, cultural and civic events throughout the year. It is the largest cathedral (a church that also serves as the seat of a bishop) in the world and also one of the five largest church buildings in the world. Construction got underway in 1892; as with many Medieval churches and cathedrals, its construction will last over centuries, so the cathedral is officially unfinished. Still, it has garnered landmark status (in 2017, The Cathedral and Cathedral Close were honored by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission).
