NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — SBC registration secretary Jim Wells has released official registration figures for the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando, confirming earlier unofficial results showing a boost in registered messengers compared to 2009.

A total of 11,075 messengers were sent by 4,466 churches from 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Only North Dakota had no registered messenger.

The registered messenger count was up nearly 26 percent – from 2009’s 8,795 messengers sent by 3,642 congregations – and is the third-highest in six years:

• 8,790 in Louisville (2009)

• 7,277 messengers in Indianapolis (2008)

• 8,630 in San Antonio (2007)

• 11,639 messengers in Greensboro, N.C. (2006)

• 11,641 total in Nashville (2005)

The age group showing the largest increase was messengers 45-49 years old, according to a random sampling of registered members.

By vocation, according to the data supplied by the messengers responding to the survey, 38.85 percent were senior pastors; 13.04 percent were homemakers; 10.95 percent were other church staff; 6.00 percent worked in associational missions; 4.56 percent were state convention, entity or institution staff members; 2.87 percent were seminary students; 2.48 percent were involved in North American or international missions; 1.83 percent were other denominational employees; 1.17 percent worked in evangelism; and 18.25 percent listed “other.”