By Albert Mohler, First Things.
Most Americans seem to think of the major Protestant denominations as if they were founded with the names we now use. In truth, the names were often forced by circumstance and argument. The methodical nature of the movement started by John Wesley, right down to a method of devotion, eventually led to the movement being named Methodism. The name stuck, and thus there is likely a Methodist church near you.
If anything, the pattern is even more clear among the Baptists, whose insistence on baptism as a personal confession and act of obedience to Christ stands at the center of Baptist identity. That logic filters down to every Baptist level. Get pastors of churches in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) together and talk will quickly turn to baptisms. How many? How often? For Baptists, the importance of baptism lies at the heart of gospel ministry.
Recent statistical reports indicate that baptisms in Southern Baptist congregations rose for a fifth consecutive year, with 263,075 recorded in 2025. That is sweet news to the SBC, but it has to be placed in context.
Here is the seismic development: The largest share of those baptized is adults aged thirty and older. To outsiders, this must be an interesting piece of news. In an increasingly secular age, how do we account for this many adults professing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and then obeying and testifying of Christ in the waters of baptism?