Missing Members

                                                                                                                                                                                 Vol. XII, No.3, March 1999

LifeWay Christian Resources (formerly the Baptist Sunday School Board) indicates that 31.8% of members of SBC churches are nonresident. That is, they moved away but didn't change their membership. Another 20.7% remain in the area but are inactive; they may attend once or twice a year but not regularly. [Reprinted from the Strawberry Baptist Association newsletter.] [Comment: Inaccurate and unrealistic membership rolls are a disgrace to most Southern Baptist churches, for our statistics pretend to a strength we do not truly have. Moreover, over and over again it happens that when an important and controversial vote comes up, one party or another (usually those who are unhappy) man the phones and get their high school pals to come and vote as they are told. In many cases critical issues are decided by "members" who never attend, never contribute, and really know nothing firsthand about the questions. Every church should have in its constitution and bylaws a provision for removing the voting rights of the inactives. And the provision should be implemented. Of course the most important goal should be to reclaim these folks to active participation, but if they will not, they should he removed from membership or at least their voting privilege should be withdrawn. TCPI