Melissa Rogers points out an interesting piece in USA Today, about problems facing the Southern Baptist Convention. The rate of new baptisms within the SBC is declining.
There's a very brief evaluation of what is causing the decline. Among my favorites:
""There's just a lukewarmness, I think, that permeates our society right now in terms of religion" [Gerald Harris, editor of The Christian Index]
"They have to continue to keep that base loyal (and) committed but by virtue of playing to that base, they alienate the people they want to evangelize," [Rev. Bill Leonard, dean of Wake Forest University Divinity School] said.
"It would appear had there not been a conservative resurgence, that it could be worse." [Thom Rainer, president of the denomination's LifeWay Christian Resources]
So which is it, then? Society is not religious enough? The SBC is too conservative? The SBC isn't conservative enough?
How about all three? My knowledge of US religious history isn't that great, but all of these causes sound pretty familiar to me. Baptists are hardly the first major denomination to suffer decline: Congregationalists came before Methodists, who came before Baptists. From what I recall in the history books, at the turning point for each of these denominations, all of these familiar problems, and then some more, were trotted out to explain the problems the denomination as a whole was having. (My wife would probably skewer me for this incredibly simplistic view of US religious history.)
It's tempting to look at the decline of a church which has been joined at the hip to the Republican party and larger conservative political movement for the past 25 years and draw politically convenient conclusions. I don't really want to do that just now, partially because the decline of a church is no laughing matter for its congregants; and also partially because those might not be the right conclusions to draw.
I do think that the SBC will be with us for a long time to come. I hope that recent shifts in the power structure of the SBC and the larger evangelical movement portend a gradual loosening of ties between the church and the Republican party. That will be good for the SBC and the country as a whole (but certainly not the Republicans, and good riddance to them.)
I also hope that this demographic shift is the signal of a growth in liberal religiosity, and an uptick in participation in minority religions. I think that might be true - every data point shows today's 20-somethings being far more religiously diverse than their parents and grandparents. But I also think we haven't seen the last of religious conservatism by a very long stretch. My guess is that part of the lack of growth in the SBC is due to SBC adherents turning towards the Mormon church, Pentacostalist churches, or non-denominational evangelical churches (all of which have been experiencing healthy growth in recent years.)
If I was an SBC leader, I would take a look at the conservative resurgence and the whole idea of playing politics with the seedy characters who run the conservative political movement. Are these the folks the SBC wants to tie its fortunes to? I hope not.
