Brentwood, Tenn. | Southern Baptist churches saw sustained growth in attendance and baptisms, but the two-decade membership decline continued in 2025. Total Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) membership fell by more than 3% from 2024 to 2025, dipping to 12,331,954, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Research in cooperation with Baptist state conventions. While […]
IRS opens door for pastors to endorse politicians
This week, the IRS and the National Religious Broadcasters, along with two Texas churches, participated in a joint filing asking a federal court to prevent the government from enforcing the Johnson Amendment which prohibits tax-exempt organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates. This shift for the IRS signals that religious organizations may endorse or criticize […]
SBC’s membership decline continues amid other areas of growth
In 2024, the Southern Baptist Convention baptized more new members than in any of the previous seven years but still saw an 18th consecutive year of overall membership decline. The 12,722,266 members of Southern Baptist congregations mark a 2% decline from 2023, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Research in cooperation […]
Complicated picture of Southern Baptist churches emerges from ACP data
The average Southern Baptist church calls the South home, but the only region of the country where those congregations are growing is the Northeast. Churches are baptizing more people, but most churches remain small and fewer attendees are involved in small groups. Lifeway Research analysis of the 2023 Annual Church Profile (ACP) reveals a more detailed […]
Southern Baptist church attendance gains potentially larger than reported
Brentwood, Tenn. | Officially, attendance at Southern Baptist congregations grew 6% in 2023, but it’s likely the actual gains are even higher. According to a Lifeway Research analysis of the Annual Church Profile (ACP) data collected by Southern Baptist state conventions, a decline in reporting among churches is likely leading to an undercounting of attendance numbers. […]