Big Church
Review 2024
For Christian Friendships & Romantic Connections
A Progressive Community for Believers
43% Male | 57% Female
- For Christian Friendships & Romantic Connections
- A Progressive Community for Believers
- 43% Male | 57% Female
In-Depth Review of
Big Church
Of all the niche dating platforms, there’s no shortage of Christian dating sites. To the point where Christian dating sites often face some of the heaviest competition of any mainstream service. The reason for that is, when it really comes down to it, they have become mainstream.
So, when a site like Big Church enters the equation, trying to take a portion of the community that the heavy hitters like Christian Café and Christian Mingle have already embraced – they have a tough road ahead. However, Big Church sets itself apart from even the biggest Christian dating sites, because it doesn’t solely focus on Christian dating.
Originally created by the makers of FriendFinder in 1999, Big Church places friendship at the forefront. Yes, it caters to single Christians looking for love or a connection, but it also caters to Christians simply looking for someone to talk to – to converse with or share in a spiritual connection. In that way, Big Church stands apart, but it still has its work cut out for it. To see if Big Church has what it takes to stay competitive in arguably the most competitive niche market, we made a profile. Read on to see if Big Church can still go big, or if it’s time to pack it up and head home.
Pros
Thorough search function
Detailed profiles and lots of features
Easy to get started
Cons
Cannot meet matches with freemium plan
Non-Christian, profit-driven ownership
How Much Is Big Church?
1 MONTH
Per month: $19.95
Total: $19.95
3 MONTHS
Per month: $13.32
Total: $39.95
Signing Up for Big Church
The process to sign-up for Big Church is as streamlined as possible. The site practically opens the door for you to join other Christian hopefuls much like the doors opening to an actual big church. In that way, all you need to begin is an email address to verify and a password to get going.
Past that, the site will also ask for a username and it encourages you to upload a profile picture to show who you are to the other members. In that same regard, one of the first things the site offers is a personality test where colors come to represent who you are the most and who you might get along with the most on the site. However, regardless of the colors of your personality, you get to make those decisions for yourself. Unlike some Christian dating sites, Big Church is inclusive of all members. It allows for choices of gender identity, sexual orientation, and asserts openly that everyone is welcome.
Member Structure
The member structure for Big Church has seen quite a change since it opened up in 1999. Although among the giants of the industry in the earlier days of online dating and even up to 2011 – it has since fallen far behind the current giants mentioned above.
In that regard, the userbase for the site has stagnated quite a bit at roughly 500,000 members across the U.S. Among these, a smattering of active users can be found in each state. That being said, the site still has enough activity and success with matches to stay relevant in the Christian dating conversation.
Breaking that number down a little further, the members are divided with roughly 57% female and 43% male. That split is rare enough but it becomes more interesting as the most popular age range on the site actually attracts middle aged users – roughly 35-44.
Still, among all the members, there couldn’t be more diversity in what is sought-out on the site. Some members are there for long-term connections and the love of a lifetime, while others are interested in short-term flings, and perhaps most distinctly – friendships.
Matching Process
Big Church matches its members based first and foremost on their profiles. The algorithm gets better at the process the more you use the site, narrowing down the users to offer the best results. That being said, the limited user base definitely harms the algorithmic, location-based service, as scrolling through repeat profiles are a frequent issue on the site.
However, beyond the matching, users are also encouraged to search for potential matches. To do this, there are search filters based primarily around who you’re looking for and why. As mentioned, Big Church isn’t only a dating site. In fact, there are options to set your profile to say ‘looking for a relationship’, but also for ‘a friend’ or a ‘pen pal.’
Those unique features of a dating site make Big Church worth looking into for the people simply hoping to make a spiritual friendship with a like-minded Christian.
Contact Options
One of the biggest drawbacks to Big Church is that it really hasn’t evolved with the times. This might be a why it has yet to attract a younger audience, and the prevalence of nostalgia makes an older audience feel at home. Still, in that regard, the only real contact option on Big Church is messaging.
Although you can favorite profiles to look back on later, the only means of connecting with potential partners is the live chat feature. It works well and is seamless to use, it’s just limited in the scope of things. In that regard, friendships really do take center stage on Big Church, as all the bells and whistles of online dating aren’t needed to simply have a great conversation with someone.
Big Church App
Again, on the theme of not evolving with the times, Big Church does not have a mobile app available on any device. It offers a mobile version of the site for anyone searching for it through their phone’s web browser, but it isn’t optimized for mobile use with things like location features.
Conclusion
Big Church has been around as long as many of the most popular name in Christian dating, but it hasn’t been able to hold on to the title it once held. As those sites continued to evolve with the changing online market, Big Church doubled down on what it did best, and who it did it for.
Big Church is a Christian dating site, but it’s also more than that. It’s a site where Christians can meet fellow believers – where they can become friends or where they can build lasting connections. There are no limitations on what you’re looking for with Big Church.
It’s not too flashy, but it has the heart where it counts. If you’re a Christian looking for love, or just a friend, check out Big Church – you’ll be glad you did.