Home Dewey's Daily Cup Find Out What’s Making 2 Million Members Flee the Southern Baptist Convention
Photo of Bethany Lutheran Church Near Bergen, Minnesota from Bob Hanson. This is the Church my Grandpa and Grandma, Floyd and Lean Caraway attended. I attended Church with them there a few times. Such a lovely Church. I miss Grandma and Grandpa greatly. They helped raise me up to be a preacher, it took me years, but I am here! Grandma spoke over me in 1974 that I would be a preacher! Glory!

Find Out What’s Making 2 Million Members Flee the Southern Baptist Convention

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FROM CHURCHLEADERS:
By

Bob Smietana

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NASHVILLE (RNS) — The nation’s largest Protestant denomination continues to get smaller.

There were 14 million Southern Baptists in 2020, according to a new report released Thursday (May 20) by Lifeway Christian Resources, which compiles official denominational statistics. That number is down 435,632 members since 2019 and 2.3 million from 2006, when the Southern Baptist Convention reached 16.3 million members.

Worship attendance was also down about 15%, with 4.4 million people attending in-person services on a weekly basis. That figure was likely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, where churches around the country shut down in-person services to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

 

“COVID-19 clearly impacted in-person attendance,” Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a statement announcing the report. “Throughout much of the year, churches tried to find the right balance of both in-person and online events.”

Southern Baptists, long known for denominational infighting, have seen several high-profile departures of leaders in the past year, including Bible teacher Beth Moore, ethicist Russell Moore, and a number of Black pastors. The SBC has also faced controversy over revelations of abuse, disputes over support for Donald Trump and a debate over critical race theory.

Find Out What’s Making 2 Million Members Flee the Southern Baptist Convention

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