Southern Baptists buck trend, post most baptisms in 4 years
Grace Baptist Church in Springfield, Tenn., was in tough straits two years ago.
The church had gone 12 months without a pastor. Sunday morning attendance hovered around 120. And, in 2008, the Southern Baptist congregation baptized only three people.
That changed last year when a new pastor and a new approach to ministry led to 53 baptisms and 200 new people showing up on Sundays.