I am asked frequently about the state of the SBC. After the latest Book of Reports and the annual ACP numbers were released, the only possible answer I can offer is: Not well.
A brief thread:
2/ Don’t take my word for it—check the numbers out here for yourself in the full report:
baptistpress.com/wp-content/upl…
Our baptism numbers continue to decline. While a slight recovery is being seen from the unprecedented drop during Covid, total baptisms are still significantly decreased from pre-pandemic levels.
4/ The 20+ year decline continues, and you have to go back to the 1910’s to find a time in history we reached fewer people for Christ. If something doesn’t #ChangeTheDirection, Southern Baptists will not be able to sustain this decline.
5/ .@SEBTS reported decrease in full time equiv (FTE) enrollment. FTEs are the standard measure by which acad institutions are observed & determine the financial support received by SBC CP. In past year, FTE students decreased from 1,268 in 2020 to 825 in 2021—drop of about 35%.
6/ @NOBTS similarly reported significant numbers of decline.
7/ .@SWBTS at first glance appeared to remain level, but after closer examination, a small footnote reveals that their FTE decreased from 1,126 in 2020 to 944 in 2021. Additionally, the number of students pursuing an MDiv has continued to decrease from 473 in 2015 to 203 in 2021.
8/ The funds from seven state conventions passed through to the national CP have decreased by more than 10%.
9/ The latest report of total receipts into the Cooperative Program has decreased by $6,745,983.
10/ Although baptisms continue to decline, more resources are being spent on missions and great commission work and more churches are being planted. We are literally spending more and doing more to accomplish less.
11/ And according to the latest ACP report, our total membership continued to decline by an additional 409,454. Southern Baptists have lost more than 1.1 million members in the past three years.
Southern Baptists have no choice but to #changethedirection.
End.
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