April 19, 2025
SUWANEE, Ga. — Georgia Baptist churches have experienced significant growth in 2024, with baptisms surpassing the 25,000 mark, reflecting an increase of more than 20% over 2023. Additionally, average church attendance has grown by over 6%, and churchgoers have been more generous, with churches reporting a 5.4% increase in undesignated receipts.
W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, expressed his gratitude for the positive trends. “Praise God,” he said, “for the remarkable growth we’re seeing across Georgia! It’s clear that God is working in and through His churches.”
The figures come from the Annual Church Profile (ACP), an annual survey completed by churches to track key metrics like baptisms, attendance, and giving. This year, nearly 70% of churches participated in the survey, the highest level of response since 2017. A greater response rate offers a more accurate picture of the state of Georgia Baptists and further highlights the commitment of local churches to report and reflect on their ministry efforts.
Bryan Nowak, GBMB’s database manager, celebrated the uptick in responses. “It's exciting to see increases in worship, small group attendance, and baptisms. When churches report, we have things to celebrate.”
In terms of baptisms, Georgia Baptists have seen a significant increase, with a total of 25,632 baptisms in 2024. This number is nearly 70% higher than 2022.
Brad Marchman, Evangelism Consultant for the GBMB, believes the increase in baptisms is part of a larger spiritual movement sweeping the state. “I believe we are seeing the stirrings of a gospel movement in our state as pastors and churches are putting intentional effort into mobilizing their people to be witnesses and investing in their communities,” he said. “I believe people in our world are open to having spiritual conversations more now than I've seen in my lifetime, and if we will be faithful, we will see a mighty move of God.”
This sense of a growing gospel movement is echoed by Steve Foster, another evangelism consultant for the GBMB. “Pastors are focusing their churches on having intentionality in sharing the gospel through personal evangelism, event evangelism, praying for lost people by name, and by weaving the gospel through all that they do. God is blessing the sowing of gospel seeds across Georgia, and I believe this will continue to increase due to the faithfulness of our Georgia Baptist pastors.”
Mark Marshall, the board’s senior lead strategist for church strengthening, sees a similar conviction in the conversations he has with church leaders across the state. “This is an exciting season for Georgia Baptists,” he said. “When I speak with pastors and other church leaders across our state, there is a strong conviction that God is moving in a unique way during these days. You can sense it, not only in the increase we see in the numbers, but in the spirit when you walk into our churches.”
While the increase in attendance is a source of encouragement, Hammond emphasized that spiritual transformation remains the ultimate goal. “It’s not just about filling seats—it’s about lives being transformed, families being restored, and communities being impacted for the Kingdom of God,” he said. “I am so grateful for our pastors and church leaders who are faithfully shepherding their congregations and for the dedication of our Georgia Baptists who continue to serve and reach others.”
As Georgia Baptists look to build on this momentum, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board is spearheading a new evangelism initiative aimed at reaching the state’s more than 7 million lost people. Through a series of listening sessions with pastors and ministry leaders across Georgia, the GBMB is seeking to understand the needs and challenges that churches face as they seek to reach their communities. In addition, an evangelism conference will be held in conjunction with this year’s annual meeting of the state convention.
Hammond shared his excitement for the next steps: “This is just the beginning. There’s so much work to be done, but together, we can accomplish so much more for God’s glory. God has given us a tremendous opportunity to impact this state.” Over the next several years, the focus will be to equip every Georgia Baptist to be able, willing, and equipped to share the good news of Christ in their communities. The effort underscores the Mission Board’s commitment to fostering a culture of evangelism throughout the state, empowering believers to take the message of Christ into their neighborhoods, workplaces, and beyond.
Through these strategic efforts, Georgia Baptists are poised to continue growing in their mission to spread the gospel, disciple believers, and transform communities for Christ. The best, according to Hammond, is yet to come.
