The News
Southern Baptist churches reported 263,075 baptisms in 2025—the fifth consecutive year of growth—marking the highest baptism total since 2016, according to the SBC's Annual Church Profile. A notable shift is occurring: a growing percentage of those baptisms are older adults, signaling a demographic change in who's making public faith commitments.
Why It Matters
Baptism trends reflect your church's evangelistic health and community impact. If you're seeing more adult baptisms, that's evidence your discipleship pipeline and outreach are working. This data also suggests opportunities—older adults represent an underserved demographic in many churches, and their spiritual openness could reshape how you think about growth and welcome.
The Takeaway
Review your baptism data from the past year; if you're seeing adult baptisms rise, lean into what's working in your outreach to that demographic.