The number of pastors who have thought about leaving their church or leaving ministry altogether increased in the years after Covid closures, according to a new survey by Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Surveyed in fall 2023, 53% of church leaders have mulled departing ministry since 2020, up from 37% in a similar survey in 2021.
At the same time, 44% have serious considered leaving their current church, double 21% reported three years ago.
In the poll, the oldest and youngest pastors were more likely to stay while pastors from Gen-X (born 1965 to 1980) were more likely to consider a career move.
The growing discontent among pastors was described as a “disconcerting” reality that implies “clergy are in the midst of a challenging time,” Christian Post reported.
The average clergyman is 59 years old and has been in his position seven years. While 75% were full-time, 60% were solo pastors with little additional team leadership.
“Fewer people from younger generations now participate. Vitality measures are down, and greater numbers of attendees increasingly concentrate in the larger churches. Any post-pandemic rebound that happened did not rectify this situation, far from it,” researcher Scott Thumma said. “Less than half of congregations have recovered to or surpassed their pre-pandemic reality across several key measurements, such as attendance numbers or financial health,” they explained.
Researchers characterized the result as diminished morale, with 35% of churches saying their future is uncertain.
—IB Staff with information from Christian Post