ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Georgia Baptists topped the 26,000 mark in baptisms in 2025, and average worship attendance continued its steady climb, according to this year’s Annual Church Profile reports.
Georgia Baptist churches reported 26,072 baptisms in 2025, up from 25,673 the year before, an increase of 1.55 percent. Average worship attendance also increased, rising from 349,865 in 2024 to 356,561 in 2025, or 1.91 percent higher.
The figures continue a multi-year rebound from the sharp declines seen during and after the COVID pandemic and mark the highest baptism total Georgia Baptists have reported in more than a decade.
Georgia Baptist Mission Board Executive Director Thomas Hammond said the numbers point to continued Gospel momentum across the state and reflect the faithful work of pastors and churches focused on reaching their communities. “That work needs to continue in the coming years,” he said, “as we seek to reach Georgia’s 7 million lost people with the Gospel.”
The growing attendance numbers are encouraging, said Hammond, but the greater impact comes from the number of lives being changed through the Gospel. “It’s not just about filling seats,” he said. “It’s about lives being transformed and communities being impacted for the Kingdom of God.”
“God is on the move in Georgia, and we’re just getting started,” said Steve Foster, evangelism catalyst for the GBMB. “We haven’t seen numbers like this since 2014, and it’s clear evidence of a Gospel movement across our state. It is a result of God’s favor on our pastors and church leaders who put a major focus on reaching their mission fields with the Gospel.”
This year’s ACP completion rate reached 70.6 percent, providing Georgia Baptist leaders with a broader view of ministry across the state. A total of 1,881 churches reported at least one baptism. The average number of baptisms per church was 13.9, while the median number was 5, a figure more representative of what a typical Georgia Baptist church experienced.
Andy Childs, assistant executive director of the GBMB, said, “The Annual Church Profile is the single way that we can celebrate what God is doing in every Georgia Baptist church of every size, everywhere in Georgia. Because of church participation, Georgia Baptists have a big picture view of our Gospel impact together and through the over 26,000 baptisms, knowing that every number has a name and every name has a story.”
Foster agreed, adding that, “Every baptism tells a story of life change and reminds us that Jesus still saves. This is not the finish line – it’s the launching point. While we celebrate, we also recognize the great need still before us. If we continue to seek God, pray for harvest workers, and boldly share the Gospel, there is every reason to believe the harvest will only grow in Georgia – from 26,000 to 30,000 and beyond.”
The worship attendance numbers also tell an encouraging story. After falling to 246,959 in 2021, average worship attendance has risen each year since, climbing to 274,352 in 2022, 328,553 in 2023, 349,865 in 2024, and now 356,561in 2025.
The same upward trend is visible in baptism totals. Georgia Baptists reported 12,886 baptisms in 2021, 15,204 in 2022, 21,179 in 2023, 25,673 in 2024, and now 26,072 in 2025.
“Georgia Baptists are demonstrating the relevance of the gospel and celebrating the gospel’s power to change lives,” said Childs.
Among the churches reporting the highest baptism totals in 2025 were Cascade Hills Baptist Church in Columbus with 1,142, Bethlehem Church in Winder with 604, Revolution Church in Canton with 490, West Ridge Church in Hiram with 422, and Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring with 271.
Rounding out the top 10 were Midway Church in Villa Rica with 269, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta with 261, Glen Haven Baptist Church in McDonough with 260, Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta with 241, and Southside Baptist Church in Warner Robins with 235.
A closer look at the 2025 ACP reports also shows encouraging movement in a number of churches that had not recorded baptisms in recent years. Several congregations that reported zero baptisms in both 2023 and 2024 saw people come to Christ and follow Him in baptism in 2025. “Every baptism in every church represents a changed life and a reason to give thanks,” Hammond said.
Among them were La Esperanza (Hope) Church in Moultrie, which reported 11 baptisms, and Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Fitzgerald with nine. Corner Stone Baptist Church in Waco, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Washington, and Sardis Baptist Church in Lyerly each reported eight baptisms in 2025. For churches that had not seen a baptism in several years, those numbers represent answered prayer, renewed hope, and the joy of seeing lives changed by the Gospel.
“I am so grateful for our pastors and church leaders who are faithfully shepherding their congregations and for the dedication of Georgia Baptists who continue to serve and reach others,” Hammond said. “God has given us a tremendous opportunity to impact this state, and Georgia Baptists are rising to the occasion.”
With baptisms now at their highest level in more than a decade and worship attendance continuing to rise, Georgia Baptists have reason to be encouraged. Still, leaders say the larger story is not about trends alone, but about the power of the Gospel at work in churches of every size across the state.
This article originally appeared in the Christian Index.
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