For the first time in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, the world's largest protestant denomination is in decline(HT: SBCOutpost). You can read the article from Lifeway HERE. We have lost almost 40,000 members in the past year, and our baptisms have dropped over 18,000 from 2006 to 2007. That is the third straight year of baptismal decline and the seventh out of the past eight. When you combine this with the fact that the evangelical church has not shown growth in one single county in the U.S. (save Hawaii) in the past decade and church attendence for Twentysomethings is somewhere around 5% of the total population, you have some very interesting days ahead, especially as Baby Boomers and the Builders continue to age.
Regarding Southern Baptists, Ed Stetzer from Lifeway Research engages in some lively commentary as to some of the reasons for the decline. He points out 3 central issues that must be addressed (I am quoting him on each three):
- We have to deal with the continued loss of SBC leaders. As we have recently reported in Facts & Trends, we have witnessed a serious (and increasing) depopulation of young leaders at our convention. Also, ethnic leadership remains absent after decades of ethnic change in America. Vacant seats still exist at the SBC table for the ethnic and generational diversity that matches the America we are attempting to reach. The departure by the future leaders of our convention has led to fewer church plants, missionaries, and energetic pastors to lead our faltering churches. We must retain these leaders not because we need them for our churches. We need them to reach the lost whom our churches have yet to touched.
- A second issue is the infighting which defines so much of the SBC—its meetings, its churches, and its blogs. It is public knowledge that we do not always settle our differences amicably. The national caricature once again colors many local scenes where First, Second, and even Third Baptist Churches exist in one town because of past infighting. Satan has used our incessant bickering over non-essentials to promote his last great mission on earth—to keep lost people lost. The communities in which we live simply do not want to hear what we have to say when we can speak kindly to one another. If the focus of every SBC meeting is a new controversy to be debated, new parameters to be narrowed, and new issues to be fought, the trend toward decline will only accelerate.
- The third, and most important, issue is our loss of focus on the Gospel. I find it difficult to even say such a thing, but, I believe it to be true. We must recover a gospel centrality and cooperate in proclaiming that gospel locally and globally. David Dockery and Timothy George pointed the way with their helpful booklet, Building Bridges, in last year’s SBC messenger’s packet. They called for a unity around the Gospel, and the time grows increasingly urgent.
The Conservative Resurgence failed to produce a Great Commission Resurgence. It restored our denomination’s value of Scripture but application is often absent, at least in the area of evangelism.
If we commit ourselves once again to the Gospel which guided the Apostles and the early church, then perhaps we can reply to Christ’s call made to the church of Sardis in Revelation 3.
I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
Well said, Ed. I agree wholeheartedly.
I want to take moment to discuss his three points. Much of what he is suggesting is what I have been saying for some time and I think that it is very important that we realize that our problems are systemic. A new program or emphasis will not solve the foundational problems that we are facing.
First of all, he says that young leaders are not engaging. I can attest to that. I am 33 years old and everywhere I go in Southern Baptist life, I am one of the youngest people in the room - by far. It is almost impossible to be involved and to speak into any processes related to the national convention, as I have found the past two years. As far as ethnic diversity, Stetzer is dead on. We have a racist past as a denomination and it continues to haunt us. I have been writing a lot about that lately for a reason: until we recognize that repentance on this issue involves more than just saying you're sorry, we will continue to have a stunted witness in America. We are defined by our horrible errors on the issue of race. It continues to plague us. We must be far more proactive in bringing healing than we have been. To do that means that we must humble ourselves and walk the long, hard road of submission.
Secondly, he speaks to the continuing fragmentation and in fighting within the SBC. This is a given. Apparently, we would rather fight and exclude one another than reach the world for Jesus. We are constantly redrawing the lines of cooperation so that more and more people are excluded on some new basis. The baptism and private prayer language policies of the IMB are a perfect case in point. Why continue to separate over non-essential issues? We have far more in common than what divides us. If we are unnecessarily dividing the Body of Christ, is that not being a schismatic, which has been condemned as heresy?
Thirdly, he says that we have lost our focus on the gospel. I agree. But, I wonder how much we have ever focused on the gospel that Jesus preached? It seems that we have reduced the gospel to a ticket to heaven and we have left out the reign and rule of God that Jesus proclaimed. If we just tell people to give a gospel presentation to people, but we don't teach them or direct them to live as disciples of Christ, then it makes sense that our gospel witness will be neutered. Do we even know the gospel? Do we even understand that Jesus came to reconcile us to God? Do we know what that means? Of course, forgiveness of sin is central to that message. But, the gospel is the Man, the Message, and the Mission. It is all connected (Luke 24:45-49). We have divided it up almost beyond recognition and we wonder why we are ineffective. I plan to say a great deal more about this in the future.
At any rate, it appears that a great decline has begun. What will bring us out of it? When churches begin a decline, it is very difficult to change things. The SBC member to baptism ratio is now 47:1. Wow.
As I think about all of this, maybe it is not the worst thing. Maybe God is pruning us so that we can be more effective. Maybe He is getting our focus off our our size and strength so that we will begin to depend upon Him. Maybe He is humbling us and opening our eyes to the staggering lostness all around us. I hope so. Wake us up, Lord. There are over 6 billion people in the world and we keep being prideful that there are over 16 million Southern Baptists in America! God, forgive us and turn our hearts toward you and the people that you came to save!
UPDATE: Check out the video interview of Dr. Stetzer on this issue HERE.