NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — As Southern Baptist Convention leaders urge local congregations to baptize 1 million converts this year, statistics from the SBC's 2004-2005 church year reveal a baptism decline for the fifth time in six years.
The annual statistics, compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources from Annual Church Profile reports by local churches, show that baptisms last year dropped from 387,947 to 371,850, a 4.15 percent decrease.
Reaching this year's “Everyone Can” goal of 1 million baptisms will require more than 628,000 additional baptisms — a one-year jump of almost 170 percent.
“Southern Baptists should view this report as a wakeup call,” said LifeWay President Thom Rainer, noting that the totals for baptisms dropped to the lowest since 1993. “We must focus our efforts, prayers and resources on reaching people for Christ.
“Baptism is the outward act of obedience that pictures God's work of redemption in a believer's life,” he added. “For Southern Baptists, the ACP figures indicate we are faltering in our efforts to reach a lost world.”
The decrease of more than 16,000 baptisms comes after a gain of 10,000-plus baptisms the previous year. But that gain was preceded by four consecutive years of baptism declines, decreasing from more than 419,000 baptisms in 1998-99.
The report also cites the ratio of baptisms to church members (1:44), which represents the number of members required to gain one baptism in one year. That ratio stood at 1:38 five years ago.
Rainer, who previously was dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, produced a report last year titled “A Resurgence Not Yet Realized: Evangelistic Effectiveness in the Southern Baptist Convention since 1979.”
He reported that in 1950, Southern Baptist churches baptized 376,085 people — more than 4,000 above the latest total of 371,850.
“Simply stated, the Southern Baptist Convention is reaching no more people today than it did in 1950,” Rainer said in that report.
Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch has spearheaded an “'Everyone Can' Kingdom Challenge” with the goal of 1 million baptisms during the current church year from October 2005 through September 2006.
After his re-election last year as SBC president, Welch told reporters that Southern Baptists are seeing decreased results in evangelism because of a lack of effort and “unity of purpose.”
Southern Baptists' baptism slump can be overcome by working harder, Welch insisted. “A lot of pastors are looking for a drive-thru window” where they can order a simple solution to evangelism, he added. “It's hard work.”
Southern Baptists “are stifling and slouching along … because we are not creating spiritual synergy,” Welch declared. “We need something to force us to come together on a quest.”
Despite the decrease in baptisms, there was growth in other key areas. The ACP showed a net increase of 234 churches established in 2005 for a total of 43,699, up from 43,465 in 2004. The number of churches has increased by more than 2,100 over the past five years, for an average gain of more than 420 churches per year.
Total membership increased slightly to 16,270,315, a gain of more than 62,000 members. Membership also has recorded gains each of the past five years, increasing from 15.9 million in 1999-2000.
Other key areas that experienced decreased enrollment were Sunday school (8,068,780 –down 137,660), men and boys mission education (388,264 — down 34,943) and Woman's Missionary Union enrollment (804,983 — down 162,848).
Each of those ministry areas has been up and down over the past five years. Sunday school enrollment had declined more than 117,000 since 1999-2000, men and boys mission education enrollment is down more than 99,000 and WMU enrollment is down more than 87,000.
Discipleship training enrollment declined by 234,785 to 1,667,709. LifeWay officials noted, however, that the discipleship reporting for 2004-2005 was changed to eliminate duplication. Rather than counting each participant in each study throughout the year, individuals are counted only once per year.
The past year's totals for discipleship training, men and boys mission education and WMU also were impacted by the fact that 33 associations in Texas did not ask all of the 2005 ACP questions.
Total offering receipts were up $550,347,520 to more than $10.72 billion. That reflects an increase of more than $2.2 billion since 1999-2000.
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— Based on reporting by Associated Baptist Press, Baptist Press, Religion News Service and Western Recorder.