By Lindsey Williams
Staff Writer
Associational Missions Directors and Mississippi Baptist Convention Board staffers were presented with the disturbing reality of the spiritual state of the state during a day-long presentation Sept.7 at Garaywa Camp and Conference Center in Clinton.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Nashville-based LifeWay Research, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, told attendees that studies and survey data indicate Mississippians have become less religious over the years, baptisms are largely children and teens, and more people are leaving Mississippi churches than joining.
In the nation as a whole, McConnell said, population growth has stalled and with that, Americans are less likely to believe the Bible is true and God cares about them.
Statistics available for the years 2008-2018 show the most decreasing religion in Mississippi is Evangelical Christians, while the most increasing group is no religion — atheists, agnostics, and no preference.
From 2008-2020, McConnell said, the reality of nonreligious people in Mississippi has increased by 12%, which translates into an average of one out of four people professing no religion. Only 14% of Mississippi churches are growing in membership, McConnell said, while 32% are declining and 54% have plateaued.
While the national population growth rate stands at 7.1% for the 2010-2020 period, Mississippi’s is less than .2%, making the birth/death rate close in numbers.
Along with an aging population, McConnell said, research suggests that a major factor in the decline of evangelistic activity is that 41% of Christian men and women of retirement age are not evangelizing, compared to the 12%-29% of non-evangelizing Christians in younger generations. As McConnell stated, “There is no retirement from evangelism.”
McConnell said 50% of Americans – half the country — believe the Bible is only myth. Thirty percent of Americans believe God doesn’t care about them.
Surveys conducted in recent years reveal over half of Southern Baptist pastors agree with the statement that their role is isolating, and three-quarters agree that the almost constant work load frequently overwhelms them.
McConnell encouraged attendees to take heart. “When COVID hit, a lot of people believed, ‘This changes everything.’ When you really think about it, no, it doesn’t. We still have the same God we serve. We still have guidance in Scripture that is timeless,” he said.
McConnell quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:14, And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone (CSB).
McConnell suggested that Mississippi Baptists can take positive steps to revitalize the spiritual state of the state by:
— Engaging in more evangelism of adults.
— Beginning new works to reach those not being reached today (new Sunday School classes/small groups, new church plants, new ministries).
— Adjusting conversations with the unchurched by meeting them where they are and helping them understand the Gospel.
— Supporting and encouraging pastors and church leaders. For more information on helping pastors/church leaders through discouraging times, visit https://research.lifeway.com/pastorprotection/.
The author may be contacted at lwilliams@mbcb.org.
