Charlotte has long been a center of Protestant Christianity and is recognized as the historic seat of Southern Presbyterianism. The city is famously the birthplace of evangelist Billy Graham, whose legacy continues through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Other major Christian organizations headquartered in the Charlotte area include Wycliffe Bible Translators’ JAARS Center, SIM Missions Organization, and The Christian Research Institute. As of 2018, Charlotte proper had over 700 places of worship, reflecting the city’s religious diversity.

Christianity is the largest religion in Charlotte, with Baptists comprising the largest single group (13.26%), followed by Roman Catholics (9.43%), Methodists (8.02%), and Presbyterians (5.25%). Other Christian groups include Pentecostals, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Latter-Day Saints, Eastern Orthodox, and non-denominational congregations. Judaism is the second-largest religion, followed by Eastern religions and Islam. In the Charlotte metro area, 73% of adults identified as Christian in 2023–24, with Evangelical Protestants, Mainline Protestants, Historically Black Protestants, and Catholics as the four largest groups. Elevation Church, a Southern Baptist congregation led by Steven Furtick, is the city’s largest Protestant church, serving over 15,000 congregants across nine locations.

African American churches are predominantly Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal. Key denominations include the National Baptist Convention, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Church of God in Christ, United House of Prayer for All People, and United Holy Church of America. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the fourth-largest denomination in Charlotte, with 68,000 members, followed by the Presbyterian Church in America and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The city also hosts Reformed Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, supporting a growing academic focus on religious studies.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, established in 1972, covers 46 counties in western North Carolina and serves over 565,000 Catholics. Charlotte is home to roughly 120,000 Catholics, making it the city’s third-largest Christian group. Its Cathedral of Saint Patrick serves as the diocesan seat, while St. Matthew Parish in Ballantyne is the largest with over 30,000 parishioners. St. Peter’s Catholic Church, founded in 1851, is Charlotte’s oldest Catholic church. The Greek Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral also serves the region.

Charlotte hosts the largest Jewish population in the Carolinas. Shalom Park in south Charlotte is the hub of the Jewish community, featuring synagogues, a community center, a Jewish day school, and the headquarters of the Charlotte Jewish News.

Overall, Charlotte’s religious landscape reflects its historic Protestant roots while embracing a wide variety of denominations, faiths, and cultural communities, contributing to the city’s rich social and spiritual fabric.