October 28, 2002
EDITORIAL:
Numbers add up to huge challenge for Texas Baptists
___Texas is big enough for everybody.
___A new study reveals 44.5 percent of the state's 20.8 million residents are unclaimed by any church. Sometimes, churches and denominations compete for believers. But the data gathered by the Religious Congregations and Membership 2000 study shows all denominations have plenty of outreach work to do.
___Catholics are most numerous in Texas, followed by Southern Baptists, which includes churches linked with either the Baptist General Convention of Texas or the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. United Methodists, Churches of Christ and Assemblies of God round out the top five. See the story about this report on page 1 and the chart on page 8.
___Actually, the percentage of non-Christians in Texas is higher. On one hand, the historically African-American denominations did not participate in the voluntary survey, so their membership would push the Christian total up a bit. However, many non-Christian and cult groups are included in the tabulation of "churched" Texans. Moreover, the denominational totals include all their adherents and don't differentiate regarding people who were born into a faith group but never experienced a personal relationshipwith Jesus Christ.
We must triple our church-starting rate if we want our conversions to keep pace with the state's growth rate.
___So, at least 10 million Texans do not know Jesus as their Savior. That's plenty of prospects for every Great Commission Christian. We don't need proselytizing--particularly within denominations--in Texas. We want every Christian to have a church home and to participate in worship, Bible study and ministry. But our resources should be expended on people who do not know the gospel or have not become Christians. Christian faith groups should grow--must grow--by converting new believers, not "sheep stealing" from other churches.
___The statewide comparison of data for 1990 and 2000 illustrates an important key to reaching Texas with the gospel--starting churches.
___Southern Baptists showed the greatest net growth in congregations over the decade, adding 688 local churches, from 4,285 to 4,973. Total membership grew by 8 percent, from 3.26 million to 3.52 million. That pace lags behind the state's 22.8 percent population growth rate, but it counters the trend for many large, traditional denominations, which showed decline.
___Catholics benefited from tremendous migration of members, up from Mexico and down from the Northeast, and showed a net membership gain of 22.2 percent. In 10 years, however, they experienced a net gain of only three churches, from 1,290 to 1,293.
___However, other groups that showed strong conversion growth also increased the percentage of their churches. For example, the Church of God (of Cleveland) enjoyed a membership gain of 37.5 percent and increased the number of churches by 11.6 percent. Similarly, the Presbyterian Church of America gained 156.1 percent in membership, propelled by a 57.5 percent increase in the number of congregations.
___In contrast, 13 of the 22 groups that reported a decrease in membership also reported a decline in the number of congregations. Four others finished the decade with the same number of churches they had 10 years earlier.
___Perhaps the most disturbing report comes from the Mormons, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which most Baptists view as a cult--far and away the fastest-growing group of more than 100,000 members in the state. The Mormons grew from 111,276 to 155,451, or 39.7 percent. And they added 112 congregations, a growth rate of 34 percent.
___The survey numbers tell us we must triple our church-starting rate if we want our conversions to keep pace with the state's growth rate. That doesn't even take into account making a dent in the non-Christian population already around us, nor the battle for souls being sought by those who will lead them away from faith in Christ.
___We need to step up the pace of at least four initiatives: We've got to give more money to have the cash available to start these congregations. We need more local churches that are willing to see new congregations spring up rather than enlarge their own "kingdoms." We need laypeople willing to leave comfortable churches in order to provide the core for young congregations. And we need to train a rising generation of pastors who thrive on starting and nurturing churches.
___
___ --Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
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