Southern Baptist Convention Reports Adults Now Account for Most Baptisms
Adults aged 30 and older made up the largest share of baptisms in Southern Baptist churches in 2025, accounting for 33 percent of the 263,075 total recorded, according to Lifeway Research. The data marks the fifth consecutive year of baptism growth for the SBC and the highest total since 2016. The shift reflects a long-term demographic change in who is coming to faith in Baptist congregations.
Adults aged 30 and older are now the largest group being baptized in Southern Baptist Convention churches, according to new data from Lifeway Research.
The 2025 Annual Church Profile showed 263,075 total baptisms across SBC congregations, the fifth straight year of growth and the highest total since 2016. Adults 30 and older accounted for 33 percent of that figure, or about 86,448 baptisms.
Youth aged 12 to 17 came in second at 25 percent, followed by children 11 and younger at 22 percent, and young adults 18 to 29 at 20 percent.
The numbers represent a sharp departure from 1971, when children 11 and younger led all age groups at 37 percent of baptisms. Adults 30 and older accounted for just 15 percent that year.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said broader US population trends help explain the shift. The adult population in the US has grown by nearly 30 million over the past 15 years, while the number of children under 12 has declined by more than 2 million since 2011.
Despite their smaller share of total baptisms, children still have the highest baptism rate relative to their population size, at 5.66 per 1,000 children compared to 0.24 per 1,000 adults aged 30 and older.
The data was published August 13, 2026, by Lifeway Research, the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.
