Baptisms, churches increase in 1997, according to Annual Church Profile

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Baptisms in Southern Baptist churches in 1997 topped 400,000 for the first time since 1982, with a total for 1997 of 412,027, according to figures from the 1997 Annual Church Profile.

The baptism total represented an increase of 8.6 percent or 32,683 over 1996 baptisms of 379,344.

The Annual Church Profile is compiled by the Sunday School Board's strategic information and planning section from church reports routed through local Baptist associations and state conventions.

Gains also were registered in church membership, number of churches and discipleship training enrollment/participation, along with increases in total receipts, total gifts, total mission expenditures and value of church property.

Sunday school ongoing enrollment, music ministry ongoing enrollment and WMU ongoing enrollment declined for the year. Changes in reporting of the Brotherhood enrollment/participation for 1997 made the total of 522,303 statistically not comparable with previous years. Participation in mission projects, formerly calculated with Brotherhood enrollment/participation, became a separate item in 1997.

Church membership for the year increased by 197,464 or 1.3 percent to a new total of 15,891,514. Membership in Southern Baptist churches has shown an increase every year since 1926.

The number of churches climbed by 274 or 0.7 percent to a 1997 total of 40,887.

Discipleship training enrollment/participation increased for the second consecutive year with a gain of 86,107 or 3.7 percent to a new total of 2,433,802.

Three areas with decreases included:

-- Sunday school ongoing enrollment dropped after two years of increases by 102,021 or 1.2 percent to a new total of 8,140,107.

-- Music ministry ongoing enrollment, after three years of gains, dropped by 88,705 or 4.7 percent to a 1997 total of 1,826,583.

-- WMU ongoing enrollment, which had increased for three consecutive years, dropped by 75,342 or 7 percent to a new total of 995,898.

With all financial areas showing increases, total gifts (tithes, offerings and special gifts) were $6,597,611,342 for the year, an increase of $159,061,155 or 2.5 percent. Total mission expenditures for 1997 were $936,894,945, an increase of 5.1 percent or $45,635,883 over 1996. Total receipts were $7,073,918,840, an increase of $195,012,225 or 2.8 percent.

The value of property owned by Southern Baptist churches increased to a 1997 total of $32,399,005,392, a gain of $1,865,116,872 or 6.1 percent.

The year’s 8.6 percent increase in baptisms prompted a joint statement from James T. Draper Jr., president of the Sunday School Board, and Bob Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board:

“We applaud Southern Baptists that, in the midst of the past year’s major transitions, we kept the main thing the main thing and saw a significant increase in baptisms. As we face an estimated 200 million people in North America who are still without Christ, we are challenging the staffs of our two agencies to pray for and work toward 500,000 baptisms by the year 2000 and 1 million baptisms by 2005. Many years ago Dr. James Sullivan (retired president of the Sunday School Board) aptly described Southern Baptists as a rope of sand with strength of steel. Thank God, we have a conviction of steel that evangelism is central to our existence.”

Cliff Tharp of the strategic information and planning section said churches in Virginia affiliated with two state conventions were counted only one time in this statistical report. For Southern Baptist churches not reporting in 1997, limited statistical data was brought forward from 1996 totals.

He said 1998 ACP materials are currently being distributed to state conventions.

1997 ACP statistics chart is posted in the SBCNet News Room. Filename is stats.97.