Denominational Profile

History

Baptist General Conference (1852)

The Baptist General Conference was founded among Swedish-Americans in 1852 by Gustaf Palmquist.

Year	Clergy	Churches	Members
1952	-	366	48,647
1953	442	362	49,981
1954	-	406	52,485
1955	521	425	54,000
1956	486	441	59,304
1957	555	465	61,724
1958	742	491	65,507
1959	724	516	68,930
1960	500	536	72,056
1961	550	545	75,613
1962	804	549	82,309
1964	700	601	86,793
1965	700	571	86,719
1966	-	573	91,206
1968	1,006	591	100,000
1969	1,006	690	101,226
1970	919	677	103,955
1971	1,032	681	108,474
1972	1,032	686	111,364
1973	1,020	625	109,033
1974	1,055	632	111,093
1975	1,023	653	115,340
1976	959	669	117,973
1977	991	665	120,222
1978	1,002	772	131,000
1979	1,325	701	126,800
1980	1,216	779	133,385
1981	1,227	715	127,662
1982	1,146	721	129,928
1984	1,470	732	128,913
1985	1,526	735	130,193
1986	1,560	753	132,546
1987	1,700	762	131,480
1989	1,700	789	135,125
1990	1,700	792	133,742
1991	1,700	799	134,717
1992	1,700	821	134,658
1994	1,248	813	135,128
1995	-	857	135,008
1996	-	875	136,120
1997	-	879	134,795
1998	-	876	141,445
1999	-	880	142,871
2000	-	-	143,200
2001	-	-	143,200
2002	-	902	145,148
2007	1,066	1,071	147,500

Data were taken from the National Council of Churches' Historic Archive CD and recent editions of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. Denomination descriptions provided by Dr. J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR). [More information on data sources]