Southern Baptist Decline Hides A Shocking Growth Trend
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) reported a continued membership decline in 2024 but noted an increase in baptisms and worship attendance, according to a recent Annual Church Profile report compiled by Lifeway Research. Membership fell by 2%, from approximately 12.98 million in 2023 to 12.72 million in 2024. However, the number of baptisms rose significantly, reaching 250,643 in 2024, a 10% increase compared to the 226,919 baptisms recorded the previous year. Weekly worship attendance also saw an uptick, with over 4.3 million people attending services, a 5% increase from the previous year, and more than 2.5 million individuals participating in small group Bible studies.
Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, expressed his satisfaction with the increase in baptisms, describing it as a positive sign of God’s work in the denomination. He emphasized Southern Baptists’ strong focus on evangelism and noted that the upward trend in baptisms had not been seen in the last 30 years. Despite the decline in membership, the increase in engagement in worship and Bible study reflects the ongoing vitality within the SBC.
The SBC also reported a slight decrease in the number of affiliated congregations, with a net loss of 30 churches, dropping from 46,906 in 2023 to 46,876 in 2024. This decline, which includes church closures and disaffiliations, is notably smaller than the loss of 292 congregations in 2023. While membership and congregational numbers have been trending downward in recent years, some of this decline is attributed to churches leaving the denomination due to differences over issues such as women serving as pastors.
For example, Saddleback Church, a well-known California megachurch, was removed from the SBC in 2023 for having a woman serve as a teaching pastor, which contradicts the denomination’s beliefs outlined in the Baptist Faith & Message. Additionally, the SBC has worked to address the issue of sexual abuse within its ranks, disfellowshipping seven churches since 2022 for mishandling abuse allegations.