Q&A with Tony Wolfe, co-editor of “A Unity of Purpose” By Jill Waggoner BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — In 2023, the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee assembled a small team to help prepare for the centennial anniversary of the Cooperative Program in 2025. Tony Wolfe, executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, was part of that team and … [Read more...]
SBC Messengers encouraged to visit the 12,000-square-foot Lifeway Village
By Carol Pipes BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — One of the most effective ways Lifeway Christian Resources serves the local church is by empowering church leaders with relevant resources that catalyze health, growth and impact. That’s the message the organization hopes messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention in June will take away from their visit to The Lifeway Village in the … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists’ membership decline continues amid other areas of growth
By Aaron Earls BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — In 2024, the Southern Baptist Convention baptized more new members than in any of the previous seven years but still saw an 18th consecutive year of overall membership decline. The 12,722,266 members of Southern Baptist congregations mark a 2% decline from 2023, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Research in … [Read more...]
Complicated picture of Southern Baptist churches emerges from statistical analysis
By Aaron Earls BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The average Southern Baptist church calls the South home, but the only region of the country where those congregations are growing is the Northeast. Churches are baptizing more people, but most churches remain small and fewer attendees are involved in small groups. Lifeway Research analysis of the 2023 Annual Church Profile (ACP) reveals … [Read more...]
Lifeway presents largest missions offering to IMB and NAMB in recent years
By Marissa Postell Sullivan and Lauren Bearry BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — This summer, as thousands of kids and students attended Lifeway camps across the country, camp staff challenged them to think more broadly about their role in God’s mission to make disciples of all nations, and campers responded by giving generously to Southern Baptist missions endeavors. Because of the … [Read more...]
