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Watermark Community Church | |
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Location |
Dallas, Texas |
Country | United States |
Denomination | Nondenominational |
Weekly attendance | 9,000 |
Website |
www |
History | |
Founded | November 7, 1999 |
Watermark Community Church is a nondenominational evangelical megachurch based in Dallas, Texas.
Watermark was founded in November 7, 1999 with an outward-focused ministry that sought to minister to "the unchurched, dechurched, dead-churched and unmoved." [1]
Watermark averages about 9,000 weekly attendants. The Porch is a weekly young adult service that attracts between 3,000 and 4,000 attendants each Tuesday night. [2]
Watermark is well known for its "Re:generation recovery" program. This is a 12-Step Christ-Centered recovery that is devoted to helping people find freedom from all struggles, including: anxiety/depression, pornography, fear, control, substance abuse, codependency, sexual abuse, same-sex attraction, eating disorders/body image, anger, obsessive thoughts, as well as any other struggle.
In April of 2021 founder Todd Wagner stepped down as Senior Pastor of Watermark. [3]
Watermark Community Church has launched several new campuses over the last two decade, with the intention that these satellite campuses would eventually form into fully-functional independent churches.
Watermark Frisco launched on July 7, 2019 and meets at Frisco High School in Frisco, TX. [4]
In partnership with Centennial Community Church, Watermark Frisco launched as Onward Community Church to serve the Frisco community on September 12, 2021.
A former campus in Fort Worth became an independent congregation on July 1, 2020 and maintains the name Watermark Fort Worth. [5]
In 2014 Todd Wagner made a public announcement that the church was looking to expand to Plano. [6] He further stated that the property they wished to purchase would cost $9.5 million. [6] The Plano campus formally launched as an independent campus, CityBridge Community Church, on January 1, 2021. [7]
In 2015 it was announced that Watermark had the opportunity to purchase the second of two tower blocks adjacent to the main campus. [8] The purchase was to be for $19 million, with $15 million needed as of October 10, 2015. [8] As of 2016, Watermark has purchased an 8 year lease with plans to purchase the tower after the lease expires.
As of 2015 [update] the Dallas Campus property was valued at $69.8 million. [9] [10]
In 2020 Watermark purchased the former Pearl C. Anderson Middle School property in South Dallas from the Dallas Independent School District for $211,000 in a public sale, an action which has upset church leaders in the community. Watermark intends to provide community services in the area, such as health care, job placement, and personal recovery. [11]
Watermark's full doctrinal statement is publicly available. [12] Its official doctrinal position is consistent with evangelical, dispensationalist churches. A selected summary is given here.
Watermark is an elder-governed church. [20]
Under Watermark's governing documents, the church leadership may exercise "church discipline" up to and including terminating membership. [21] Watermark's exercise of this clause has been criticized on at least one reported occasion: