Having been a member of SBC churches from the mid 1990s through the early 2010s, I never believed this number was accurate because SBC churches are notorious for never updating membership rolls. One church I was at pushed back when a new pastor attempted to remove around 15 members from the rolls who HAD DIED. After some checking after one move from East Texas to Dallas, I learned that I was still on the roll at the previous church a year later, even though I had "moved" my membership. Their numbers are smoke and mirrors because they rely solely on the individual churches to report them.