Southern Baptists in decline now?

05.09.07 | 3 Comments

For two years now, the number of baptisms performed in Southern Baptist congregations has dropped, giving the denomination a lackluster 1% increase in members, well below the national “replacement rate.” Does this make them one of those moribund, declining mainline denominations now?

On 05.09.07 Kinsi wrote these pithy words:
I think thats because about 99% of the south has already been baptized it seems. I’d be interested to see baptism rates vs. church member rates.

And I don’t think it’s moribund when the number of baptisms LAST YEAR is bigger than our entire denomination.
On 05.09.07 chutney wrote these pithy words:
I forget the rules. I guess since they’re congregationalists too it varies from place to place.

But if memory serves, new Baptists have to be baptized as Baptists. If you’re baptized as a Methodist at least, you had to be re-baptized since sprinkling doesn’t really count. Where I grew up.

So less baptisms means less new Southern Baptists as a whole, as opposed to people who used to be Baptists one congregation and then moved to another.
On 05.15.07 ogre wrote these pithy words:
Kinsi, that’s a fair point. A good one. But… it can also be seen as a sign of sorts that a Ponzi scheme has run aground. You know, when there’s no one left that they can “save,” who will be “saved,” then they might have to start that painful turn towards actually saving themselves.

A move towards some introversion might be in the offing. Which will have all kinds of impacts…

Making Chutney