Adults accounted for more than half of SBC baptisms last year, analysis finds
A majority of the over 263,000 baptisms that occurred in Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches last year were of adults, according to a new analysis from Lifeway Research.
In a report published Thursday, Lifeway Research found that, in 2025, 33% of individuals baptized in the SBC were adults ages 30 and over, while 20% were young adults, 25% were youth and 22% were children.
This contrasts with past years, when children — defined in the report as people aged 11 and younger — constituted a larger percentage of those baptized in SBC congregations.
For example, in 1971, 37% of baptized individuals were children, while in 2022 that number was 30%. From 2022 to 2025, the percentage of young adults baptized has risen from 15% to 20%.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in the report that minors used to compose around two-thirds of annual SBC baptisms.
“The sharp declines in the number of children and youth being baptized in Southern Baptist congregations coincide with declines in those populations in America. There are fewer and fewer children within churches and in their communities to reach,” said McConnell.
“While statistically there are far fewer children in most communities, there are still large numbers who need to hear the gospel through local churches.”
In May, Lifeway Research released the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Church Profile (ACP), which examined the statistics for the United States’ largest Protestant denomination.
The ACP found that SBC membership declined by around 3% in 2025, going from approximately 12.72 million members in 2024 to approximately 12.33 million last year.
However, the ACP also reported that around 4.5 million people attended worship at SBC congregations in 2025, up from approximately 4.3 million in 2024.
There was also a slight increase in the number of individuals participating in Sunday school classes and small-group Bible studies, from about 2.5 million in 2024 to over 2.6 million in 2025.
The number of baptisms in the SBC also increased by almost 5% in 2025 compared to 2024, marking the fifth straight year of growth and surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
The ACP reported that 263,075 people were baptized in SBC congregations in 2025, up 4.96% from the previous year and higher than the 2017 figure.
SBC Executive President Jeff Iorg said in the report that he was “grateful Southern Baptists continue to show growth in key metrics like baptisms, worship attendance and Bible study participation.”
“Southern Baptist churches are focused on sharing the Gospel and making disciples, the mission we cooperate to fulfill,” Iorg continued. “While many other issues vie for our attention, pastors seem more determined than ever to focus on our core mission.”
