Updated Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Baptisms in SBC fall to lowest level since 1987

By Rob Phillips

LifeWay Communications

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The number of people baptized in Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches fell for the third straight year in 2007 to the denomination's lowest level since 1987.

Although the SBC added 473 new churches and gave more than $1.3 billion to support mission activities around the world, there's no escaping the disappointing fact that Southern Baptists are not reaching as many people for Christ as they once did, said Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, which gathered the information on the denomination's behalf.

According to LifeWay's Annual Church Profile (ACP), baptisms in 2007 dropped nearly 5.5 percent to 345,941, compared to 364,826 in 2006.

The number of baptisms is considered a key measurement of the SBC's effectiveness in evangelism.

"This report is truly disheartening," said Rainer. "Total membership showed a slight decline. Baptisms have now declined for three consecutive years and for seven of the last eight years, and are at their lowest level since 1987." Ranier said the number baptisms was among the lowest reported since 1970.

"We are a denomination that, for the most part, has lost its evangelistic passion," he said.

Not all the news coming out of the ACP was so grim. The number of SBC churches grew by 1.1 percent to 44,696; primary worship attendance increased slightly to 6.15 million; and total mission expenditures topped $1.3 billion.

Through the denomination's Cooperative Program, local churches voluntarily pool funds to support mission efforts in their states, throughout the nation and around the world. For example, Cooperative Program funds support more than 10,250 missionaries who engage nearly 1,200 people groups throughout North America and around the world. In addition, the funds support six seminaries, the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, the Ethics & Religions Liberty Commission, and other SBC entities.

LifeWay and GuideStone Financial Resources are self-funding.

At the same time, Cooperative Program funds support statewide efforts in evangelism, as well as children's homes, disaster relief efforts, volunteer missions, colleges and universities, camps and much more.

Rainer said changes for certain categories could not be accurately figured for the 2007 ACP, as some state conventions did not ask for some items to be reported, or asked in a way that gave results that were not comparable to totals reported in the 2006 ACP.

Impacted categories and their 2007 totals include:

- Sunday school enrollment: 7.88 million

- Discipleship training enrollment: 1.66 million

- Total tithes, offerings, and special gifts: $10.85 billion

- Music ministry enrollment/participation: 1.44 million

- WMU enrollment: 778,555

- Men/boys mission education enrollment: 381,355

For more information about LifeWay Christian Resources, visit www.lifeway.com/news.