Baylor Online Conference Will Examine Who Counts as an Evangelical

Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion will host Counting Evangelicals: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives online from September 29 through October 1, 2026. Presented in partnership with the World Christian Database, the conference brings together historians, researchers, theologians, and ministry leaders to examine a question with real consequences for the church: who is counted as an evangelical, and what do those numbers actually mean? The program moves beyond a simple headcount. Sessions will explore the definitions researchers use, the historical development of the evangelical movement, and the ways local conditions shape Christian identity. The event is especially relevant for pastors and leaders who regularly encounter headlines about church growth, decline, affiliation, and global mission. Those reports can influence ministry planning, funding, outreach, and public understanding, yet the categories behind the numbers are not always consistent. By gathering specialists in history, sociology, theology, and global Christianity, Baylor is creating a setting where participants can test assumptions and hear several perspectives. Announced contributors include Grace Al-Zoughbi, David Bebbington, Esme Bowers, David Goodhew, John Maiden, Kyama Mugambi, John Wolffe, and Gina Zurlo. Their combined work spans evangelical history, mission, migration, regional movements, and demographic research. Because the conference is online, participants across the United States can join without travel costs. The format also makes it practical for church staff, seminary students, and ministry teams to attend together, compare notes, and discuss how the research relates to their own communities.

The conference matters because reliable ministry decisions depend on more than impressive statistics. A number can look encouraging or alarming while hiding differences in belief, church participation, geography, culture, age, ethnicity, or the meaning of the word evangelical itself. The planned themes include quantitative studies of local and global evangelicalism, gender and ethnicity, migration and mobility, and the definitions used to identify evangelical people and communities. Those subjects can help leaders ask better questions about the reports they read and the strategies they build. A pastor may leave with a stronger framework for interpreting national surveys. A missions leader may gain a better understanding of how migration changes the religious life of cities and nations. A researcher may discover new data sources or methods for comparing movements across regions. A church team may become more careful about applying national trends to a local congregation. This event does not promise one final definition that resolves every debate. Its value is the disciplined conversation it creates between history, theology, and measurement. Participants can expect a thoughtful examination of both the usefulness and the limits of demographic categories. Men Building Faith readers who care about evangelism, discipleship, cultural change, and the future of the church will find the subject directly connected to ministry. Registration and the current program are available through Baylor’s official conference page. Since sessions are online and the schedule may be refined as the event approaches, prospective attendees should review the official page for access instructions, speaker details, and any registration deadlines.