NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — While the number of Southern Baptist churches in 2006 increased by 524 and reported more than $11.3 billion in total receipts, LifeWay Christian Resources President Thom S. Rainer reported April 17 that total baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention fell for the second consecutive year.

According to the Annual Church Profile gathered by LifeWay, baptisms last year dropped from 371,850 to 364,826, or 1.89 percent, eclipsing 2005 as the lowest annual total since 1993. The 2005 ACP reported a 4.15 percent drop.

The national drop mirrors a similar trend in Georgia, where churches reported a drop of 1,208, or 3.7 percent, to 31,095 from the previous year’s 32,303.

The national 2006 ACP shows growth in several areas. Total membership of Southern Baptist churches increased slightly to reach 16,306,246 members. The net increase of 524 churches, more than double the net increase from 2005 – for a total of 44,223 – represents a 1.2 percent boost for 2006. In the 2005 ACP, there was a net increase of 234 churches.

Primary worship attendance rose to 6,138,776, reflecting a 1.43 percentage growth. Church-type missions – defined in the ACP as “a body of baptized believers having a distinct identity that meets regularly for worship, engages in Bible study and evangelism, and provides opportunity for stewardship and fellowship, but has not yet constituted as a church” – was the largest percentage increase in 2006, up 2.06 percent.

 

The impacted categories and their 2006 totals include:

Total receipts: $11,372,608,393

Total tithes, offerings and special gifts: $10,425,420,529

Undesignated receipts: $8,293,404,321

Total mission expenditures: $1,285,616,031

Sunday School enrollment: 7,931,753

Discipleship training enrollment: 1,503,826

Music ministry enrollment and participation: 1,466,124

WMU enrollment: 811,139

Men/boys mission education enrollment: 376,379