The news continues to buzz around Southern Baptist Convention circles as everyone evaluates 2007 LifeWay’s Annual Church Profile (ACP). SBC leaders are scrambling to make assessments of why the numbers are down. According to the ACP, baptisms in 2007 dropped nearly 5.5 percent to 345,941, compared to 364,826 in 2006. The number of people baptized in Southern Baptist churches fell for the third straight year in 2007 to the denomination’s lowest level since 1987. Although the SBC added 473 new churches and gave more than $1.3 billion to support mission activities around the world, there’s no escaping the disappointing fact that Southern Baptists are not reaching as many people for Christ as they once did, according to Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, which gathered the information on the denomination’s behalf.
Ed Stetzer said in regard to the alarming numbers, “For now, Southern Baptists are a denomination in decline.” Three issues that the ACP call us to note, according to Stetzer, are, 1) the loss of SBC leaders– especially ethnic and younger leaders who are abandoning the SBC; 2) the public infighting that characterizes so much of the SBC culture; 3) “Our loss of focus on the Gospel.” Stezter writes, “We must recover a gospel centrality and cooperate in proclaiming that gospel locally and globally.”
I agree with much of Stetzer’s assessment but would simple add that perhaps the SBC is obsessed with numbers. Since my early days in ministry I have noticed a marked arrogance when it comes to numbers in ones individual church. SBC conferences I have attended announce the speaker by giving the number of baptisms, number of members, number of programs, and the like of the speaker’s church. I have heard sermons in Southern Seminary’s own chapel of men who stand and give their own Annual Church Profile of their church while leaving the Bible hidden under their statistics. I can call this nothing but bragging.
I love the Southern Baptist Convention and I am proud to say I am a member of the greatest effort on the planet to reach the world for Christ. I would be apart of no other organization. However, I am continually disappointed at our obsession with numbers. Yes, we see baptisms in decline, but for what reason? Are the numbers we give for annual baptisms really accurate? How many of these counted baptisms are still serving in the church? How many of these counted baptisms are making an impact upon the Kingdom of Christ? How many of these counted baptisms are under the age of 10? These, and others, are questions we need to approach in giving a proper assessment of the SBC’s current condition.
The statistic I am most proud of as a Southern Baptist is the 1.3 billion dollars we gave to mission work around the world. As a convention I think we need a re-focus of our priorities. The truth of the gospel must be preached. Fighting must stop. Arrogance among much of the leadership and jealousy among many of the pastors must cease. It is time for The Southern Baptist Convention to hold the banner of truth high and return to its historical roots of gospel-centered ministry.
_____________
To read more please visit: Tom Ascol and Timmy Brister
To view the ACP numbers please click here
Filed under: Southern Baptist, The Church
[...] Pastor and People [...]