By Staff
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBMO – Recent data shows that numbers are lagging in 2026 for churches who have submitted the Annual Church Profile.
This survey collects essential information across the state and is used to gauge the health and growth of congregations as well as to help plan the cooperative missions and ministries of Louisiana Baptists.
So far, only 935 or 62.5 percent of churches have contributed to the database in 2026, compared to an average of about 82 percent for each of the prior three years.
Shana Johnson, Louisiana Baptists’ support supervisor for Information Services, told the Baptist Message the numbers of reporting churches “are way behind” at this point in the year, but she also offered resources and assistance to help congregations to catch up.
“There are blank ACP forms to print off on LouisianaBaptists.org under ‘ACP Forms and Resources,’” she shared. “Also, if a church does not have their credentials for accessing LaOne.org to complete the survey online, I would be happy to assist them.”
The ACP survey is a vital tool for assessing the effectiveness of methods and strategies for church planting and outreach, and it helps to identify areas where there is a need for a greater Louisiana Baptist presence.
But it also is critical for representation with the Southern Baptist Convention and Louisiana Baptist Convention. Each organization uses the information to allot appointments to their respective executive boards. The SBC also uses the data to elect trustees to the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. Meanwhile, messenger representation to the state and national annual meetings is determined by a church’s profile in the ACP database.
Johnson said that it is not too late for churches to participate in the data roundup for 2026, and urged congregations to email, ACP@LBC.org, or call, (318)-449-4210 or (318) 449-4242, for information or assistance.
