History of the .Church TLD

.church is a generic top-level domain introduced as part of ICANN’s New gTLD Program. It was delegated into the global Domain Name System in 2014. The TLD was created to provide a distinctive namespace for churches faith-based organisations and ministries worldwide.

Main Use and Industry Position

.church is primarily used by churches congregations ministries and other faith-oriented organisations that want a domain extension that reflects their religious mission and identity on the internet. It is positioned in the domain industry as a thematic extension specifically for religious and church communities.

Comparison to Other TLDs

.church differs from legacy extensions such as .com and .org by directly conveying a religious affiliation. It is more specific than broad-purpose TLDs and provides stronger branding for faith organisations. Unlike country-code extensions which are tied to geographic regions .church is globally available. It is similar to other thematic religious TLDs but is broader in focus for entire church organisations.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Conveys clear religious mission and identity
  

• Strong branding value for faith-based organisations
  

• Open registration model
  

Cons

• Lower general public recognition compared to mainstream extensions
  

• Less suitable for non-religious entities
  

• Registration pricing often higher than common TLDs
  
  

Registration Criteria

.church is open to registration by any individual or organisation. There are no specialised eligibility restrictions but the extension is intended for churches faith communities and related entities. Standard domain naming rules on character use and length apply.

Summary

.church is a thematic generic top-level domain introduced in 2014 designed to provide a meaningful namespace for churches and faith-based organisations. It offers open registration and strong identity branding for religious entities but typically has higher costs and lower mainstream recognition than legacy TLDs.