2012 was another rough year for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). More specifically, “according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions, most of the ACP metrics declined in 2012 including membership, average attendance, baptisms . . .” Expressed as percentages, the declines are
- membership: 0.7%,
- average worship attendance: 3.1%, and
- baptisms: 5.5%.
So What?
While the SBC still has 6 million Sunday worshipers at more than 46,000 churches, it is clearly in decline. The decline in baptisms seems significant, and becomes even moreso when placed in context. The number of baptisms has declined for six of the past eight years, and the numbers for 2012 are the lowest since 1948.
- Were you aware that the SBC (the largest Protestant denomination in the USA – still twice as large as the second largest) was in decline?
- Do you believe that continued decline is likely for this denomination? Why or why not?