What Might Other Churches Learn from the Southern Baptist Membership Loss?
by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

Recently, the Associated Press reported that Southern Baptist churches suffered a loss of members in 2007. This may seem hard to believe for many that have watched Southern Baptists from a distance over the years. There is an expression heard in the South about places where “there are more Baptists than people.” This expression reflects the historic focus of Southern Baptists on evangelism and conversions, but also their tendency to inflate church rolls. Pastoral success is often viewed in terms of “additions” and membership growth. The practices of keeping a “non-resident” category of members and often leaving inactive members on the rolls have led some of the senior leaders of the denomination to caution against taking membership figures at face value. So, what are some of the reasons a system designed to avoid reporting losses can begin to decline numerically?

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Deliberate Outreach Strategy Leads to Growth
by Rudy Guess

Worship attendance at Gardendale-Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Gardendale, Alabama, has increased more than 5 percent each year since 1999. One reason for the increase is three different worship experiences with one common message. We often begin the year with a series of messages designed with the unchurched in mind. For example, this year we began with a message series "Narnia and the Gospel" that was promoted in the newspaper and with door hangers.

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Leaders do not need answers.
Leaders must have the right questions.

Churches and denominations invariably begin Christian organizations to carry out various ministries. Thomas H. Jeavons suggests these questions for any such groups:

Whom does this organization wish to serve?
How does this organization intend to serve these people?
What does the organization need, and what must it be,
to be able to render the service desired?
How will the organization know if its mission is being fulfilled?

Editors:  Lovett H. Weems, Jr. and Ann A. Michel
Production and distribution:  Joe Arnold

Copyright © 2008 by the G. Douglass Lewis Center for Church Leadership. Leading Ideas material may be freely distributed with attribution (exclusive of material protected by separate copyright).