Updated Friday, May 02, 2008

North Carolina stats reflect national trends

By Norman Jameson

BR Editor

Churches reporting their 2007 statistics show that North Carolina Baptists reflect national trends, with decreases in baptisms, members and the number of churches filing reports.

While actual numbers are valid, comparative analysis is difficult with 110 fewer churches reporting in 2007 than in 2006. Only about 75 percent of North Carolina Baptist churches file an annual statistical report.

Russell Schwab, system administrator for information services at the Baptist State Convention (BSC), says he currently has 4,091 churches and missions in the BSC database. Of those, just 3,028 reported their 2007 statistics on the Annual Church Profile.

Schwab would not speculate on why it is so difficult to get churches to file vital statistical information, but he said it is getting "harder and harder to get churches to turn in their statistics."

The form is available online and takes just 10 minutes to fill out the statistics. Church clerks received information from their associational office that included the user name and password to access the Ask Ned system and enter their information.

Depending on the number of leaders in a church, it could take another 20 minutes to name those who fill various leadership positions. This information is vital to every denominational entity that tries to communicate effectively with its constituents.

The 4,091 churches which claim membership in the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina compares with 4,078 in 2006 and 4,063 in 2005. About 300 churches have been started or have joined the BSC in those three years.

The number of baptisms reported, which are a part of the national report issued from LifeWay, is 23,114 for 2007. Marty Dupree, BSC evangelism consultant, said his office is in the process of contacting every church with a "zero" report for baptisms to see if that is an accurate number or if no report was filed.

BSC churches reported 24,262 baptisms in 2006; 23,179 in 2005; 24,179 in 2004 and 25,257 in 2003.

Churches reported their resident membership in 2007 as 831,724, a drop of 4,085 over 2006, which was 29,323 lower than 2005. At the same time, North Carolina has been one of the fastest growing states in the nation for five years.

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Frank Page said May 1 unless trends are reversed, the SBC is a rapidly dying denomination that could number only 20,000 churches by (down from its current 44,000) by the year 2030. Page made those comments during a conference call hosted by the BSC's Pastor's Disciple-Making Network.