Story perspectives

SBC Membership Down 3% as Attendance, Baptisms Surge

5/6/2026

Summary

Southern Baptists Decline

The Southern Baptist Convention’s U.S. membership fell more than 3 % in 2025, reaching 12,331,954.
Weekly worship attendance rose 3.63 % to 4,460,910 in the same year.
Small-group participation increased 3.24 % to 2,650,291.
Baptisms grew 4.96 % to 263,075, marking the first five-year consecutive growth streak in 75 years.
Undesignated giving receipts rose almost 1 % to $9,639,343,162 while the SBC lost 268 churches, leaving 46,608 congregations.

Summary

Southern Baptists Shrink

Scott McConnell of Lifeway Research linked the 3% membership loss to church closures and roll clean-ups.
Jeff Iorg, SBC Executive Committee president, said baptisms and attendance are the denomination’s vital spiritual metrics.
The Southern Baptist Convention was founded by a pro-slavery faction before the Civil War and remains centered in the Southern United States.
Pew data show nondenominational churches continue expanding while growth among the religiously unaffiliated (“nones”) has stalled.

History

Historical Context

In May 1845 a pro-slavery faction formed the Southern Baptist Convention in Augusta, Georgia, breaking from the Triennial Convention over missionary slavery rules. The 1979 Conservative Resurgence reshaped leadership and sparked the 1990 split that created the moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. By 2025 the SBC counted 12,331,954 members—a 3 % decline and 268 closures—prompting Jeff Iorg to push aggressive planting and digital outreach.

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Southern Baptists Decline

The Southern Baptist Convention’s U.S. membership fell more than 3 % in 2025, reaching 12,331,954.
Weekly worship attendance rose 3.63 % to 4,460,910 in the same year.
Small-group participation increased 3.24 % to 2,650,291.
Baptisms grew 4.96 % to 263,075, marking the first five-year consecutive growth streak in 75 years.
Undesignated giving receipts rose almost 1 % to $9,639,343,162 while the SBC lost 268 churches, leaving 46,608 congregations.

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