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Southern Baptists Notch Attendance, Baptism Gains as Membership Drops

America’s largest Protestant denomination reported some positive developments as overall membership has declined for the 19th consecutive year.
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Southern Baptists Notch Attendance, Baptism Gains as Membership Drops
The Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in downtown Nashville, Tenn., in 2022. Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times
Mark A. Kellner
Mark A. Kellner
5/5/2026|Updated: 5/5/2026
0:00

Southern Baptists, America’s largest Protestant denomination, said on Tuesday that attendance and baptisms are up even though overall membership has declined for the 19th consecutive year.

About 12.3 million people are members of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), a more than 3 percent drop from 2024, according to the denomination’s Annual Church Profile (ACP), a survey compiled by Lifeway Research.

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Mark A. Kellner
Mark A. Kellner
Author
Mark A. Kellner is a freelance journalist. He covered the 2024 elections in Nevada for the New York Post and was previously the faith & family reporter for The Washington Times.
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