SBC lost more than 200,000 members last year, report finds

A recent report from Lifeway Research found the Southern Baptist Convention’s membership declined for the 18th consecutive year in 2024. The SBC lost 259,824 members, a 2% drop. Its total membership was 12,722,266 at the end of the year, the report said.

The denomination also lost 30 churches in 2024, with some leaving over theological disagreements, including the ordination of women.

Any good news for the SBC? The denomination reported that 250,643 individuals were baptized in 2024—the highest annual total since 2017. The ratio of baptisms to members also improved, rising to 1:51 last year from 1:57 in 2023. In-person church attendance also rose by 6.3%, up to 4,304,625 each week.

Dig deeper: Read my report on how Facebook removed many churches’ SermonAudio links last weekend.