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An Analysis

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DULUTH — The 2006-2007 church year was not a memorable one among Georgia Baptists, though there were gains in three areas – most notably baptisms for which state convention leaders are expressing gratitude.

While baptisms did post a nearly 2 percent gain and while WMU and Men’s Ministries reported higher participation, Georgia Baptists are tracking the national figures which show a denomination slowing in growth. And, some say, is indicative of a denomination in decline.

The most recent Annual Church Profile shows Georgia Baptists, like Southern Baptists in general, declined in several key areas.

While the state’s baptism report did reverse the previous year’s decline, Georgia Baptists are still on a 10-year slide from their record in 1988. And on the national level, ACP statistics released earlier this month by LifeWay Christian Resources show a nearly identical trend.

According to the national report, baptisms in 2007 dropped nearly 5.5 percent to 345,941, compared to 364,826 in 2006. That meant that the number of people baptized in Southern Baptist churches fell for the third straight year in 2007 to the convention’s lowest level since 1987.

And just as disturbing, total membership dropped by nearly 40,000. While the decrease was less than one percent, it does place the nation’s largest Protestant denomination in the camp with other mainline groups who have reported declining membership for years.

SBC President Frank Page told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that part of the blame can be placed on a perception that Baptists are “mean-spirited, hurtful, and angry people” and that the denomination has been known too much in recent years for “what we’re against” than “what we’re for.”

“Our culture is increasingly antagonistic and sometimes adverse to a conversation about a faith in Christ. Sometimes that’s our fault because we have not always presented a winsome Christian life that would engender trust and a desire on the part of many people to engage in a conversation on the gospel,” he said.

 

Georgia baptisms up but trend remains unsettling

Analysts of the state-level data point out that in 1998 Georgia Baptists baptized 37,182 individuals while 10 years later – as recorded in the 2007 ACP – they baptized 31,752. Not only did the numbers decrease by 5,430 but the state’s population increased by nearly 2 million.*

That means that not only are Georgia Baptists winning fewer people to Christ as the population swells, but their voice and influence is being equally diminished. And, the ACP record showed that Georgia Baptists were nearly flat in membership, dropping slightly by 1,086 members – or .08 percent – to 1,391,499.

“As a denomination we remain on a statistical plateau,” observed Tom Crites of the GBC’s Research Services department.

“Around 1970 we were at our pinnacle when we were about 22 percent of the state’s population. Now Georgia Baptists are only around 11 percent. We have effectively halved our influence on society and there is no indication that is going to change anytime soon.”

On the bright side in a troubling economy, giving remained relatively strong. Cooperative Program gifts posted a slight gain of .02 percent while state missions gifts came in 5.4 percent ahead. Giving to North American missions recorded a 13 percent increase while gifts to the International Mission Board were up 9 percent.

In a closer look at the statistics, Georgia Baptists’ Sunday School enrollment, which has become an arm of evangelism, edged down slightly by .64 percent, a drop of 4,832 to 752,086.

What conclusions can be drawn from the baptism and Sunday School numbers? Steve Parr, who oversees both ministry areas for Georgia Baptists, has some clear opinions of what is occurring.

“I believe what we are seeing in the Georgia as well as national ACP numbers is reflective of the systemic issues that we as Southern Baptists are engaged in as we try to reach an increasingly resistant society.

“Georgia Baptist Sunday School enrollment has increased for 9 of the past 10 years and attendance has increased for 7 of the past 10. But the disturbing thing is that baptisms have declined for 6 of the past 9 years.

“An even closer look at the numbers reveals that Sunday School average attendance grew by 14,000 in the decade from 1987 to 1997 and again by about 40,000 from 1997 to 2007. The bottom line, though, is that Sunday School is tracking up while baptisms are tracking down.”

 

A mixed blessing

“What does this tell us? It tells me that we should be more concerned about the baptism numbers, even in light of this year’s increase,” added Parr. “I feel that we are doing a good job of assimilating Christians into our churches through Sunday School but just because those numbers are increasing does not mean that we are reaching the lost.

“In fact, the numbers bear that out in stark reality; we are doing a good job of reaching the believers who move into our state and swell our population but a poor job of reaching the lost who come with them.”

GBC Executive Director J. Robert White had a similar observation.

“The annual church profile numbers indicate that Georgia Baptists are experiencing some of the same things we have seen nationally – a decline in church membership and a slight decrease this year in Sunday School enrollment. Frankly, I don’t know a single Georgia Baptist who is satisfied with this.

“I want us to beat the trend and set the pace. There is remarkable excellence, talent, and commitment among Georgia Baptists and we must be challenged by these numbers to get busy for the Lord. Numbers are simply indicators of where we need to focus our energies to strengthen our ministries.”

White also noted that “there were some very encouraging numbers in the report. I was thrilled to see our baptisms increased over the preceding year. This marks a distinct difference from national numbers that indicate a continuing decline. Still, I believe we should be baptizing 50,000 a year rather than nearly 32,000.

“We can do better and we must if we are to reach our state where 70-80% are unchurched. We are on the mission field in Georgia and we must work and witness as diligently as the finest missionaries serving overseas. I was greatly encouraged by the growth reflected in baptisms, other additions, average worship attendance, new member churches, and participating in Woman’s Missionary Union and Men’s Ministries.”

Parr concluded with a final observation: While this year’s baptisms report is nothing to get excited about, it needs to be taken in context of the big picture.

“The fact is that we did not have as good of a year in baptisms as we would have liked. But a bad ACP year is like having a bad Sunday in church. You don’t judge the entire year by one week’s attendance.”

 

* Source: U.S. Census Bureau records showing Georgia population of 7,636,522 in 1988 when Georgia Baptists recorded their highest number of baptisms. Ten years later, in 2007, the state’s population had increased by 1,908,228 to 9,544,750 but the state was reporting 5,430 fewer baptisms.