Annual Church Profile data indicates encouraging trends for Mississippi Baptists

By Jon Martin
MBCB Chief Strategy Officer

Each year beginning in August, churches are asked to participate in the Annual Church Profile (ACP). Only eleven questions long, the survey gathers basic information to help churches and associations understand the history and health of their congregations. It is a valuable tool to observe trends in church life across Mississippi and the Southern Baptist Convention. 

This year, after analyzing the ACP data, some encouraging trends emerged worth celebrating that will help assist churches focus their evangelism efforts.

Before reviewing the ACP data, though, it is important to keep in mind its limitations: the information provided is self-reported, the number of churches that participate varies each year, and the same churches don’t necessarily participate each year. This means that the data is not perfect, but it does help give a bigger picture of church health and Gospel impact Mississippi Baptist churches are having in their communities.

The ACP asks three questions that can help track church trends: number of baptisms, average worship attendance, and average Sunday School/small group attendance. 

Baptisms

Statewide, the number of baptisms has increased each year since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began. In 2025, Mississippi Baptist churches baptized 9,299 people, the highest total since 2016, when 9,681 baptisms were recorded.

When it comes to who is being baptized, the majority are children and youth. Those baptized between ages 0–17 account for 57% of all baptisms, while individuals ages 18–29 make up 19%, and those 30 and older comprise 24%. This data points to the significance of children and student ministries and those events that invest specifically in those age groups, such as Vacation Bible School and DiscipleNow.

Worship and Sunday School/small group attendance

Worship and Sunday School/small group attendance among Mississippi Baptist churches is the highest it has been since COVID, with both numbers continuing to see a yearly increase.

While these numbers have not yet surpassed the pre-COVID levels in 2019, the annual increase is encouraging. Although many churches anticipated a quick recovery from the COVID downturn, it is taking longer to overcome. It is projected that when the 2026 ACP data is received, the pre-Covid worship and Sunday School/small group attendance numbers will finally be eclipsed. Mississippi Baptist churches should see this momentum as motivation to keep reaching their communities and making disciples.

Over the past two years, 47% of Mississippi Baptist churches have experienced growth in their average weekly worship attendance. Another 20% fall into what is considered a “stable” category, meaning their attendance has neither increased nor decreased by more than 4%. That leaves 33% of churches that have seen a decline of more than 4%.

Focusing on Sunday School/Small Group attendance, 40% of Mississippi Baptist Churches experienced growth, with 18% considered “stable,” leaving 42% that have experienced greater than 4% decline over the last two years. 

Looking at the combined picture, 26.1% of Mississippi Baptist churches reported growth in both worship and Sunday School/small group attendance in the two years studied. This might lead some to assume that 73.9% were therefore stable or in decline. However, 37.1% of churches grew in one area while being stable or decline in another. This means that a church may be growing in Sunday School, and stable in worship. While it is preferable for churches to be growing in both areas, it is encouraging to know that a greater number are growing in at least one area of ministry.

One final important marker of church health is the percentage of worship attenders that also attend a Sunday School or small group. Among Mississippi Baptist churches, 65.6% of worship attenders also attend a Sunday School or small group. This data suggests the churches with the highest worship attendance tend to have a higher percentage of those who attend a Sunday School or small groups.

The churches that are most likely to be growing in worship and Sunday School/small group attendance are those that average more than 750 in worship (67%). In contrast, the churches that are the least likely to be growing are those that average fewer than 100 (22%). 

For many churches, this reality is a result of context. Mississippi, like other areas of the country, has seen a departure from rural areas into urban and suburban areas where there are more people and a greater potential for growth. Many of the normative churches are still doing great Kingdom work, they just happen to be in areas of population decline, which makes the mission more challenging.

What this means for your church

When considering these statistics, each church needs to look at the trends considering its own unique context. While statewide statistics aid those who serve all of Mississippi, it would be helpful for churches to run an individual 10 Year Church Giving Profile to see what the Lord is doing. Using this data can help a local congregation discern the Lord’s leadership in ministry and missions. If you need assistance running a 10 Year Church Giving Profile for your church, contact the Strategy office at vclary@mbcb.org or 601.292.3310.

Ultimately, these numbers indicate that the Lord is at work in Mississippi in both rural and urban churches. The work to which the local church has been called is not over. Churches should be encouraged to keep preaching solid biblical sermons, keep discipling, and keep reaching the lost. God has called Mississippi Baptists to a great work and has promised that He will equip and sustain along the way.