BCNE by the Numbers: Churches Reflect a National Trend of “Sustained Growth” in Attendance and Baptisms
The numbers have been crunched and the Annual Church Profile (ACP 2025) report from 384 Baptist Churches of New England (BCNE) congregations reflects the national trend of “sustained growth” in attendance and baptisms, while the membership totals declined in 2025 when compared with 2024.
The total number of people attending a worship service at a BCNE church increased from 2024 to 2025 by 5.16 %, an addition of 1,999 people, while membership dropped by 2.89%, or 984 people.
The worship attendance totals do not include online worshippers, but that total grew from 2022 (during the global pandemic) to 2024, by 105%. Online worshippers in 2024 totalled 23,668 people. Does an online worshipper count as a church member? Some churches in New England affirm digital attenders as members in good standing of their “online campus.”
Attendance, Baptisms, and Membership
Over the past decade (2016 to 2025, see the chart below), New England Baptists have added thirty-four churches to its ranks, a growth of 9.7%. Worship attendance over the last decade increased by 32.3%, or 9,940 people; and membership totals over the same years increased more slowly than attendance, by 14.0%, or 4,078 people.
ACP totals show that 39,165 people were baptized by New England churches since 2001, the first year that ACP numbers were available; 2025 recorded the highest total of baptisms: 2,799 people—an average of 7.3 people per church.
“Some people do not like numbers, but I do. I like numbers because every single number has a person behind it—a person who has been freed from sin and reconciled to God through Christ, said Executive Director Terry Dorsett. “I am thankful to every pastor and church planter in New England who is working hard to share Christ in his community and to disciple new believers into mature followers of Christ. These numbers are more than a report to the national office. I use them when I meet with donors. They are living examples of the effectiveness of the work going on across New England,” he added.
| Year | Worship | Membership | Baptisms | Churches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 16,048 | 21,713 | 1,290 | 193 |
| 2006 | 18,506 | 22,432 | 1,191 | 233 |
| 2011 | 23,541 | 23,453 | 1,393 | 303 |
| 2016 | 30,776 | 29,027 | 1,687 | 350 |
| 2025 | 40,716 | 33,105 | 2,799 | 384 |
Since the BCNE’s ACP 2025 numbers were tabulated and submitted to Lifeway Research for inclusion in the national report, the New England network has continued to grow and it now includes 400 churches. As reported last month, the 400th church is Stamford Community Church, in Southern Vermont.
BCNE Numbers Give “Meaningful Depth to Our Story”
What goes into the collection of ACP statistics? “Over the past two decades we have created a well-oiled process that begins each October,” said Leadership Development Director Sandy Coelho, who distributes blank reports at the annual meeting, now called the NEXUS conference. Some churches receive the form by mail or choose to complete it online.
Worship & Membership
Church leaders must return their forms by January 1 or be the focus of email and phone follow-up efforts.
“I sometimes find that calling during a blizzard can be effective since people are stuck at home,” she jokes. “Some churches like it when I call and they don’t complete the report because they wait for my call.”
“The ACP is so important to our ongoing ministry,” Coelho noted, “because it tells the story with real numbers and it validates the anecdotes of what is happening in our region. It is also important because those numbers are archived for churches to help them assess their ministry, and to give new ministers a picture of how the church is doing in some key growth areas.”
Soliciting and tabulating annual reports is a small but significant part of the work for Coelho, a native of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, who joined the BCNE staff in 1998. Her many roles allow her to connect with leaders of children’s ministries, small groups, ESL, discipleship, and compassion ministries.
Does Coelho, who is the church administrator and a leader of Church of the Vine, Carver, Massachusetts, actually enjoy preparing data from churches? “Absolutely!” she responded. “When I first started, it was a challenge because my supervisor at the time thought I couldn’t break the barrier of getting the data from churches, but the first year I proved him wrong and got data from 100% of the churches.”
In March 2025, Sandy Coelho led an ESL training workshop at the BCNE Multiplication Center.
Read the BCNE’s ACP Totals (2001 to 2025)
“The challenge was keeping that standard, and we have been able to maintain it.” There are times when churches don’t report and she will carry their numbers over, but only for one year.
Gathering statistics is also about building relationships. “People comment throughout the year because many remember my phone call, and I always try to take time to hear a bit of what is happening in their church. Sometimes it opens the door for prayer and an impromptu church consultation.”
Coelho said her friends at Lifeway, who gather ACP data nationwide, know that she is “very persistent and I won’t rest until the data is complete and reviewed.”
Crunching church data, Coelho concluded, “really is a labor of love because I know that numbers only enhance and give meaningful depth to the story of our ministry in New England.”
The National ACP Update
The national 2025 Annual Church Profile reveals “sustained growth in attendance and baptisms but continued decline in membership,” wrote Aaron Earls, author of “Southern Baptists See Attendance and Baptism Gains Amid Membership Declines,” a Lifeway Research report published May 5. Total membership fell by more than 3% from 2024 to 2025, dipping to 12.3 million people.
“New England was the only region of the U.S. where Southern Baptist churches grew from 2018 to 2023,” Lifeway Research reported a year ago. “Churches in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont grew by 10%. Every other region saw declines in overall church membership.”
“New England was the only region of the U.S. where Southern Baptist churches grew from 2018 to 2023,” Lifeway Research reported a year ago. “Churches in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont grew by 10%. Every other region saw declines in overall church membership.”
In 2025, 263,075 people were baptized in a Southern Baptist church, up 4.96% from the previous year. “Every baptism represents a life transformed, someone who has found forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ. That is what we celebrate today,” said Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board.
The detailed Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Research in cooperation with Baptist state conventions (including from the BCNE network) is available online for those who may want to compare New England with other regions.