PHOENIX—The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting drew 5,018 messengers to Phoenix June 13-14. The unofficial total is 31.6 percent fewer than last year’s 7,321 messengers in St. Louis but 164 more than 2011 when the convention last met in Phoenix.

When registered guests, exhibitors and others are included, the count of those at the SBC annual meeting rose to nearly 8,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Newly elected SBC registration secretary Don Currence, who served as acting secretary throughout the meeting, said this year’s results were in line with estimates.

“With next year being in Dallas and being an election year (for SBC president), we’ll probably be back up around 9,000 messengers,” Currence said.

As expected, Arizona Baptist churches turned out for their host-meeting; their 374-messenger total was the second largest of the state delegations. Texas was the highest at 474 messengers. Kentucky ranked ninth with 240. (BP)