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Past their prime, Southern Baptist are rapidly losing members and political influence.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2025/06/past-their-prime-southern-baptists-are.htmlThe Southern Baptist Convention just wrapped up a two-day meeting in which they attempted to assert their conservative influence by signalling their approval for an overturning of the Obergefell v. Hodges decision that enshrined the right to same gender marriage in the United States. There's been muttering and fussing at the current Supreme Court, hinting that in the current political atmosphere of extremist Trumpism, this might be something that can be done.
Ironically, it was this focus, which took the form of a non-binding resolution passed by the messengers to the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas this week, and not the denomination's abysmal failure to come up with workable solutions to resolve a nagging clergy sexual abuse crisis within the ranks of Southern Baptists, that grabbed most of the headlines. In spite of claiming to be the "largest Protestant denomination in the United States," and one in which many leaders and members arrogantly claim spiritual superiority over other denominations because of their conservative doctrine, especially Catholics, Southern Baptists have been stymied in their efforts to even address the crisis in their midst, largely because their executive committee engaged in covering it up and diffusing the evidence because the denomination's structure is not hierarchial, and the denomination's executive committee has no authority over local church actions or decisions.
Ironically, it was this focus, which took the form of a non-binding resolution passed by the messengers to the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas this week, and not the denomination's abysmal failure to come up with workable solutions to resolve a nagging clergy sexual abuse crisis within the ranks of Southern Baptists, that grabbed most of the headlines. In spite of claiming to be the "largest Protestant denomination in the United States," and one in which many leaders and members arrogantly claim spiritual superiority over other denominations because of their conservative doctrine, especially Catholics, Southern Baptists have been stymied in their efforts to even address the crisis in their midst, largely because their executive committee engaged in covering it up and diffusing the evidence because the denomination's structure is not hierarchial, and the denomination's executive committee has no authority over local church actions or decisions.
Various religious researchers have been telling us that the dangerous blend of right wing extremism with far right wing Evangelical conservatives has been causing the decline of church membership and attendance among conservative Evangelical churches, going all the way back to the Reagan administration. But the sharpest declines in attendance and membership, almost 25% of those who self-identify as "conservative" or "Evangelical" in the United States, have taken place since Trump was first elected in 2016. And while he remains popular among conservative Caucasian Evangelicals, there has been quite an exodus from churches by members who value their faith practice above the corruption of politics.
The Southern Baptist Convention is a denomination that is meticulous in keeping statistical data. A sharp drop in its overall membership and attendance, just under 25% of what was the total membership at its peak of 16.2 milliion in 2006, has finally caused alarm bells to ring. And while their own researchers are loathe to associate this decline, the steepest in the history of the denomination, in a relatively short period of time, with the intrusion of Trumpism and its politics, which run completely counter to Christian principles and values, those who are leaving are happy to disclose their displeasure with this intrusion [see Jude v. 4].
Southern Baptists, the largest of all Evangelical denominations, have seen their membership drop by 3.5 million since the peak in 2006, with over 3 million of that coming since Trump was first elected in 2016. Any researcher who doesn't draw the conclusion that these rapidly dropping numbers clearly establish is in denial.
The Southern Baptist Convention is a denomination that is meticulous in keeping statistical data. A sharp drop in its overall membership and attendance, just under 25% of what was the total membership at its peak of 16.2 milliion in 2006, has finally caused alarm bells to ring. And while their own researchers are loathe to associate this decline, the steepest in the history of the denomination, in a relatively short period of time, with the intrusion of Trumpism and its politics, which run completely counter to Christian principles and values, those who are leaving are happy to disclose their displeasure with this intrusion [see Jude v. 4].
Southern Baptists, the largest of all Evangelical denominations, have seen their membership drop by 3.5 million since the peak in 2006, with over 3 million of that coming since Trump was first elected in 2016. Any researcher who doesn't draw the conclusion that these rapidly dropping numbers clearly establish is in denial.
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Who knew? 