06/25/2026
36,706 BAPTISMS
One movement. One country. One year.
That is the number from 380 Independent Christian Churches across 39 states in 2025. A record for the post-COVID era. The previous best was 35,238 in 2017. Last year broke it.
An average of 97 baptisms per church. A baptism ratio of 6.7 โ up from 6.4 in 2024.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น. ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
At Mt. Gilead Church โ non-staff members performed over 40% of all baptisms. At Sherwood Oaks Christian Church โ 80% were done by everyday believers. At Rise Christian Church โ 88 different people baptized 134 others.
Not the pastor. Not the staff. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐.
๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐.
And Vevay Church of Christ in Vevay, Indiana โ a very small church in a very small town โ had the highest baptism ratio in the entire survey. 28 baptisms per 100 people in attendance.
Not the biggest. Not the most resourced. ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Now zoom out.
This does not count India, where baptisms in the last six months alone have surpassed this annual total. It does not count Africa, Latin America, or Southeast Asia.
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ต.
The church is not dying.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them." โ Matthew 28:19 (CSB)
Matthew 28:19 / Acts 2:41 / Revelation 7:9
