Visitors attending a Southern Baptist worship service are likely to hear a pastor issue a Gospel invitation and be asked to respond personally, rather than through digital means, according to new research.
The findings come from a Lifeway Research study of Southern Baptist pastors commissioned by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. The online survey of 1,007 pastors was conducted June 18–27, 2025.
According to the study reported by Baptist Press, 74 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they provided an opportunity for people to respond to a Gospel invitation during their weekly Sunday morning service every week over the past year. Another 11 percent said they extended such invitations two to three times per month, while 3 percent said once a month.
Nearly four in five pastors (78 percent) plan to invite people to respond to the Gospel at all weekly worship services. One in 10 (10 percent) said they plan to do so when they feel led by the Holy Spirit.
Additionally, 8 percent said they issue an invitation when the main Scripture passage contains a clear Gospel message, 7 percent when guests or non-believers are present, and 5 percent when they are not making another kind of appeal, such as a call to serve or forgive.
Two-thirds of Southern Baptist pastors (66 percent) said they regularly ask their congregations to respond to a truth in the sermon, even if it is not specifically a Gospel invitation. About 30 percent disagreed, and 5 percent said they were unsure.
When asked to share their views on including Gospel invitations in worship services, one in five pastors (20 percent) said it was important to allow time for people to respond. Nearly as many (19 percent) emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit, saying the practice should be Spirit-led. About one in seven (15 percent) said a Gospel invitation should always be offered, while one in 10 (10 percent) said it is absolutely necessary in every service.
Others described it as essential or helpful (8 percent), cautioned against being manipulative (5 percent), said it requires a clear Gospel presentation (4 percent), called it a biblical practice (4 percent), or said it depends on church context (2 percent).
Most pastors (66 percent) said they extend Gospel invitations during Sunday worship without reservations. However, some expressed concerns about the practice.
One in five (20 percent) said they worry about emotional manipulation. About one in seven (15 percent) said salvation only occurs through the Holy Spirit’s prompting, which makes them cautious about invitations. One in 10 (10 percent) said their services typically include only church members.
Fewer respondents expressed other concerns, such as the risk of false assurance of salvation (7 percent), the use of alternative evangelism methods (7 percent), or a preference for individual follow-up outside the service.
Most pastors reported offering multiple ways for people to respond to a Gospel invitation. Around two in three said they ask attendees to walk forward to speak with someone during the service (65 percent) or to talk with the pastor afterward (64 percent). About one-third (32 percent) invite them to meet with specific church leaders after the service.
Among pastors who use these approaches, meeting in a designated location after the service is viewed as the most effective method—79 percent said it is at least moderately effective, and 10 percent called it extremely effective.
Other approaches considered effective included speaking with the pastor after the service (76 percent), meeting specific leaders after the service (70 percent), filling out printed response cards (68 percent), going to someone in a location other than the front during the service (67 percent), and walking forward to someone at the front during the service (65 percent).
The study also revealed that about two-thirds of Southern Baptist churches (65 percent) baptized five or fewer new believers in the past year, including 18 percent that baptized no one. The median church baptized three individuals, while the average—boosted by larger congregations—was just over eight.
Pastors of small congregations with fewer than 50 attendees were most likely to report no baptisms in the past year (37 percent). By contrast, those leading churches with 250 or more attendees were the most likely to report 25 or more baptisms (51 percent).
