The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) saw its membership fall to its lowest level since 1973 last year, even as the largest Protestant denomination in the United States reported increases in baptisms and weekly worship attendance.
According to data released Tuesday by Lifeway Research, the denomination's research arm, membership dropped by 3% to 12.3 million in 2025, continuing a nearly two-decade downward trend. However, weekly worship attendance rose by nearly 4% to 4.5 million, and baptisms increased by 5% to 263,075.
This marks the second consecutive year that baptisms have exceeded pre-pandemic levels. The SBC often views baptism as a key spiritual indicator, reflecting the number of individuals being introduced to the faith.
Mixed Metrics
“We are grateful Southern Baptists continue to show growth in key metrics like baptisms, worship attendance and Bible study participation,” said Jeff Iorg, president of the SBC Executive Committee, in a statement.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, attributed the membership decline partly to church closures and congregations cleaning up their membership rolls. The SBC figures are based on self-reports from individual congregations.
Demographic Context
The majority of SBC members remain in the denomination’s traditional Southern base, where it was founded by a pro-slavery faction before the Civil War. However, the SBC has since expanded across North America.
Scholars closely monitor these numbers because the SBC has long been the largest body of evangelical Christians and maintains detailed records. Despite its decline, the SBC remains by far the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., partly because other large denominations have experienced even steeper drops.
Meanwhile, nondenominational churches—many with evangelical beliefs and independent governance similar to Baptists—have been growing. The ranks of the “nones,” people with no religious affiliation, have also expanded, although that growth has stalled in recent years, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey.
This article was based on reporting by the Associated Press.
