Southern Baptist membership has declined for 18 years, but baptisms have seen an encouraging uptick, the Christian Daily website reports today (May 13, 2025).
Membeship in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has fallen for the 18th consecutive year, with total membership now at 12,722 -- the lowest reported since 1974 -- according to new data released April 30.
Desite the decline, the SBC recorded more baptisms in 2024 than in any year since 2017, marking the fourth straight year of growth in baptisms and signaling renewed momentum in evangelism and outreach.
Lifeway Research, which compiles the SBC's Annual Church Profile (ACP) in cooperation with Baptist State Conventions, reported a 2 percent drop in membership from 2023 to 2024. That equates to a net loss of 259,824 members. The latest figures follow a 1.8 percent decline the previous year and 2.9 percent drops in each of the two years prior.
"The largest portion of membership declines come from churches acknowledging that certain members are gone for good and removing their names. Other drops come from churches that close or leave the Convention," said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
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