Baptist Churches declining?

[JimfromOhio]

I was looking around to see what denominations are gaining members and what denominations are losing members?

I googled and found that many reports are indictating that the Baptist denominations are changing rapidly.

A news article in Kentucky "Warning that Kentucky Baptist churches are in crisis, state convention evangelism leader Dan Garland said congregations throughout the commonwealth “are losing people at a greater rate than we’re gaining them.” Baptist Churches-Declining members (http://www.westernrecorder.org/wr/wrsite.nsf/stories/200607-ClosingBackDoor)

Another: Examples of articles about churches dropping the word "Baptist" from their names Article (http://www.adherents.com/largecom/baptist_namechange.html)

There are many Baptists disagree with other Christians on the issues of the authority of the Bible, salvation, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and proper worship.

The Baptist Courier wrote an article on "Have we forgotten how to cooperate, and why we cooperate?"
An open letter to Southern Baptists (http://www.baptistcourier.com/1009.article)

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

I use to belong to a church that dropped the word Baptist from the church name. Even though technically it still was a Baptist church. My wife and I finally ended up going to an Independent Fundamental Baptist church that does practice separatism. We don't partner up with churches that teach false doctrine such as evolution, that having homosexual relations is ok, that works are required to get into heaven, that there was not a virgin birth and the etc. Our church is doing fine. I have seen liberal churches actually getting hit the hardest when it comes to losing members. I think churches like that may grow for a time but people finally get up with the pseudo church they belong too and find a real place to worship.

Doctrine does matter and the church needs to live out that doctrine in their every day lives. We need to put God first and not ourselves. That is a key to a growing church. To bad many churches are trying other methods instead.

[MrJim]

The same has been happening among mennonite churches for many years, the "mennonite" name gets dropped and little about the church has any link to its historical doctrinal teachings in an effert to be "relevant".

[BjBarnett]

hello sorry to intrude but I live in southeast Kentucky where it is mostly pentecostal and baptist. the situation with the dropping of there name in this area seems to be occuring more with pentecostals. Baptist churches seem to be doing pretty well in this area. the very vast majority of my family is baptist and I know that my grandmothers church is doing better than it has in years. my in-laws church seems like its really picking up too. i dont know about other areas of Kentucky but here in southeast kentucky Baptist are the main christian denomination and it appears they they are not losing ground any. the only thing ive noticed is a couple of long time "Missionary Baptist Churches" have dropped there Missionary from there title and I think joined the SBC.

[Christian1stBaptist2nd]

AMEN!!!!........and........AMEN!!!!



I use to belong to a church that dropped the word Baptist from the church name. Even though technically it still was a Baptist church. My wife and I finally ended up going to an Independent Fundamental Baptist church that does practice separatism. We don't partner up with churches that teach false doctrine such as evolution, that having homosexual relations is ok, that works are required to get into heaven, that there was not a virgin birth and the etc. Our church is doing fine. I have seen liberal churches actually getting hit the hardest when it comes to losing members. I think churches like that may grow for a time but people finally get up with the pseudo church they belong too and find a real place to worship.

Doctrine does matter and the church needs to live out that doctrine in their every day lives. We need to put God first and not ourselves. That is a key to a growing church. To bad many churches are trying other methods instead.

[edb19]

I was looking around to see what denominations are gaining members and what denominations are losing members?

I googled and found that many reports are indictating that the Baptist denominations are changing rapidly.

A news article in Kentucky "Warning that Kentucky Baptist churches are in crisis, state convention evangelism leader Dan Garland said congregations throughout the commonwealth “are losing people at a greater rate than we’re gaining them.” Baptist Churches-Declining members (http://www.westernrecorder.org/wr/wrsite.nsf/stories/200607-ClosingBackDoor)

Another: Examples of articles about churches dropping the word "Baptist" from their names Article (http://www.adherents.com/largecom/baptist_namechange.html)

There are many Baptists disagree with other Christians on the issues of the authority of the Bible, salvation, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and proper worship.

The Baptist Courier wrote an article on "Have we forgotten how to cooperate, and why we cooperate?"
An open letter to Southern Baptists (http://www.baptistcourier.com/1009.article)

Our church is growing slowly but surely. We have had some folks leave (mostly due to moving out of state). Our new members this year (we've had at least 10 new members in the past 15 months) have all been 40 years or younger, 8 of the new members are under 30 years. I truly believe that the younger generations are hungry for sound doctrine and Biblical truths. Consider that many of the seeker sensitive churches are started and led by baby boomers (who think that we need to be entertained - but that's another issue).

edie

[DeaconDean]

Jim, with all that is being taught here in the Baptist room as of late, it is no wonder that Baptists are dropping. I included this article in another thread and it addresses this issue very well:

http://www.founders.org/FJ26/article2.html

Is it any wonder?

God Bless

Till all are one.

[PaladinGirl]

It seems as though the Southern Baptist Churches are on the decline. I know I have heard that many are becoming Charismatic and so are becoming like the Pentecostal churches. Its no wonder they are on the decline if this is true. Churches like my fundamentalist Baptist Church, however, are alive, well, and growing. :)