Yesterday Lifeway released the numbers from the 2010 Annual Church Profile. You can access that article here. Not surprisingly, membership, attendance, baptism, and giving continues a slow steady decline. Is this reason for alarm. I think the answer is yes and no.
Southern Baptists have far too long had membership rolls filled with people that we couldn’t find if we wanted to. Southern Baptists report having 16,136,044 members while only 6,195,449 attended worship in 2010. You don’t have to be very bright or discerning to see there is a huge problem.
Southern Baptists as a whole have lost the concept of meaningful church membership. And yet churches that go to great lengths and care to make sure each person that desires to become a member is truly a believer and understands their role and responsibilities are often castigated by other pastors and churches. It’s time we face facts. I know that’s hard. I know it hurts. But while truth may hurt, it can be incredibly liberating and empowering.
I believe another reason for our decline in numbers is something called the “death of the mushy middle” that Tim Keller talked about in a recent interview.
While I’m alarmed by somethings I see happening in Southern Baptist life, I am also incredibly encouraged by many other things. I believe the answer is simple. It requires repentance of sin and a return to Christ and the gospel. My prayer is that we as individuals, churches, and a convention will do just that and get busy following Jesus and making disciples around the globe for the name and fame of Jesus.
