Southern Baptists see 13th year of membership decline

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The nation’s largest Protestant denomination is almost 2% smaller than it was in 2018.

The Southern Baptist Convention released its 2019 membership numbers on Thursday.

They show a membership decline of more than 287,000 people.

That brings the total membership of the Nashville-based denomination to 14.5 million last year. It was their 13th straight year of decline.

National Congregations Study Director Mark Chaves says it mirrors a national trend that is driven by generational differences. He says, “Younger people are less likely than older people to attend religious services and to be religious.”