Baptist Family
Baptists originated from 17th century English Puritanism. The term "Baptist" came from their insistence that baptism should be reserved for those old enough to comprehend and confess a personal faith in Jesus. Modern Baptists are a group of Christian denominations and churches who subscribe to a theology of believer's baptism (as opposed to infant baptism), salvation through faith alone, Scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice, and the autonomy of the local church. Churches in the Baptist family include the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Baptist Convention of America, and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.
Maps: Baptist Family1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Baptist Family States (2020)1 [View all states]
| Rank | State | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 1,018,845 | 344.10 |
| 2 | Alabama | 1,532,174 | 305.00 |
| 3 | Arkansas | 820,163 | 272.30 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 1,599,755 | 231.50 |
| 5 | Kentucky | 1,018,749 | 226.10 |
Top 5 Baptist Family Counties (2020)1 [View all counties]
| Rank | County | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County, Texas | 999 | 3,769.80 |
| 2 | Harmon County, Oklahoma | 3,445 | 1,384.60 |
| 3 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | 15,248 | 1,257.50 |
| 4 | Worth County, Missouri | 2,340 | 1,186.00 |
| 5 | Hickman County, Kentucky | 3,992 | 883.00 |
Top 5 Baptist Family Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro Area | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlesborough, KY Micro Area | 16,810 | 697.60 |
| 2 | Central City, KY Micro Area | 18,219 | 589.10 |
| 3 | Vernon, TX Micro Area | 7,052 | 547.20 |
| 4 | Columbus, MS Micro Area | 31,486 | 534.80 |
| 5 | Union, SC Micro Area | 14,483 | 531.60 |
Baptist Family: Adherence Rates (1980 - 2020)1
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
