More pastors are contemplating quitting ministry and leaving their church. Several factors increase the likelihood of those thoughts.
By Aaron Earls
After enduring the pandemic and reestablishing many of their congregational rhythms, more pastors say they are thinking about leaving their church and maybe even ministry.
Lifeway Research studies on the subject found pastors haven’t actually started quitting in greater numbers. In 2015, pastors were stepping away from the pulpit at an annual rate of 1.3%. In 2021, the rate remained statistically the same at 1.5%. The same study, however, found pastors are now more likely to say their role is frequently overwhelming, climbing from 54% in 2015 to 63% in 2021.
Thinking of quitting
A report from Hartford Institute for Religion Research titled “Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations” finds pastors are increasingly contemplating stepping away, even if they aren’t yet taking that first step.
In the spring of 2021, 63% of pastors said they’ve never seriously considered leaving pastoral ministry and 79% said they’ve never seriously considered leaving their current congregation. But by the fall of 2023, both percentages dropped significantly. Now, less than half of pastors (47%) say they’ve never seriously considered leaving pastoral ministry and just over half (56%) say they’ve never seriously considered leaving their church.
Less than half of pastors (47%) say they’ve never seriously considered leaving pastoral ministry and just over half (56%) say the same about leaving their church, according to Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Share on XCurrently, 36% say they’ve never considered leaving either, 34% have considered leaving both, and close to another third have considered leaving one or the other (20% ministry, 11% congregation).
Most pastors reporting thoughts of quitting say they’ve had them once or twice or a few times. Far fewer say they think about leaving fairly or very often. Currently, 40% say they’ve thought about leaving the ministry occasionally, and 13% say they’ve thought about it often. Close to a third (34%) say they’ve thought about leaving their congregation a few times at most, while 10% say they have those thoughts at least fairly often.
The report examined several factors that may play a role in how frequently pastors consider leaving ministry behind.
Decreased attendance
The General Social Survey, Gallup, and numerous other studies have established a downward trend in church attendance. According to the Hartford Institute, churches saw an average attendance of 137 at their worship services in 2000. Those numbers steadily declined in each subsequent report before bottoming out at 45 during the pandemic in 2021.
Since that time, however, there has been a bit of a rebound. While Protestant pastors reported attendance of 60% pre-pandemic levels in January 2021, they saw 89% in August 2023, according to Lifeway Research.
But there may be some disappointment among pastors that the overall declining trend wasn’t reversed after the pandemic. In fact, the Hartford Institute found a slight dip from spring 2023 (average of 60 in worship services) to fall 2023 (average of 55).
Pastors may be coming to grips with the post-pandemic reality of church attendance and begin wondering about their future. Ultimately, small church pastors, those with 50 or fewer attendees, are more likely to be considering a departure from their congregation.
Opposition to change
As pastors think about potential changes they could make to increase attendance, they’re facing churches increasingly resistant to change. During the pandemic, more than 4 in 5 churchgoers (86%) expressed a willingness to change, including almost half (47%) who strongly agreed with that desire. Now, 2 in 3 (66%) agree they’re willing to change, with only 20% strongly agreeing.
Nearly every clergy who says they’ve often thought about leaving the ministry (97%) mentioned something about their church’s unwillingness to make needed changes in open-ended comments for the study. Among those who say they never think about leaving pastoral ministry, only 10% say their congregation is unwilling to change to meet new challenges. For those who often think about it, however, 41% say that is the case.
Nearly every clergy who says they’ve often thought about leaving the ministry (97%) mentioned their church’s unwillingness to make needed changes, according to Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Share on XOne pastor who was thinking of leaving said, “The congregation talks about new directions and finding new ways to serve the community but resists my leadership to actually set goals and do the work, saying it’s too risky.”
Church conflict
The more often a pastor thinks about leaving the ministry, the more likely they are to say there’s at least some conflict within the church. Among pastors who say they never think about quitting, 63% say there’s some conflict in their congregation. That climbs to 77% of those who’ve thought about leaving at least once and 91% of those who’ve thought about it at least fairly often.
A similar trend happens among those considering leaving their congregation specifically. Fewer than 2 in 3 pastors who never thought about leaving (63%) say their congregation has some conflict. That jumps to 80% of pastors who’ve thought about leaving occasionally and 95% of pastors who’ve thought about it often.
Connections and relationships
Pastors who feel at home in their church and close to their congregation very rarely think about leaving their church or the ministry. Those who feel out of place or disconnected are more likely to consider making a change.
Less than 1% of pastors who never think about leaving their congregation say their fit with them is just OK or not good. Among those who rarely or occasionally think about it, around 6% say the fit is just OK or worse. More than 3 in 10 pastors who say they often consider leaving (31%) describe their fit with the congregation as just OK or not good.
Similarly, those who feel they are growing in closeness to their congregations are less likely to consider leaving, while those who feel the connection decreasing are more likely. Among pastors who never think about leaving their current church, 7% say their sense of closeness to the congregation is decreasing, 43% say it’s staying the same, and 50% say it’s growing. For pastors who rarely or occasionally consider leaving, 15% say the connection is decreasing, 45% staying the same, and 40% increasing. Meanwhile, almost half of those who often contemplate leaving their church (45%) say their sense of closeness is decreasing, 29% staying the same, and 26% increasing.
Other factors
Several other factors play a role in the likelihood of pastors considering quitting ministry. Full-time pastors are more likely than those who are part-time to say they’ve thought about leaving pastoral work. “This might be due to the reality that full-time ministry is likely to be all-consuming for these clergy,” according to the report, “whereas part-time clergy are present in the church for fewer hours and likely have other vocations or tasks that occupy their attention.”
Additionally, pastors who are the only ones on staff are also more likely to have considered leaving ministry. Mainline pastors are more likely than evangelical or Catholic and Orthodox pastors to think about leaving ministry behind. Those who’ve never thought about leaving ministry are more likely than those who have had those thoughts to strongly agree their church is “spiritually vital and alive.”
What to do?
A pastor who unwillingly finds themself considering leaving their church or ministry may feel pressure to turn around these factors. Obviously, if the pastor can help the church grow and become healthier while avoiding conflict within the congregation, they should certainly seek to do that. But that may place additional pressure on pastors and, in turn, lead to even more thoughts of quitting.
“As pastors grow closer to churchgoers and find reasons to hope in what God can do through the congregation in the future, they find less opportunity to contemplate walking away.” — @WardrobeDoor Share on XPastors should focus on doing their job well for the glory of God and the good of the church. They can seek to develop deeper relationships and stronger connections with the congregation. But they shouldn’t assume everything depends on them and their efforts.
In general, those who feel more optimistic about the future of their church are less likely to report thinking about wanting to leave their church or ministry in general. As pastors grow closer to churchgoers and find reasons to hope in what God can do through the congregation in the future, they find less opportunity to contemplate walking away.
Pastors volunteered activities that encouraged them and reminded them about what they enjoyed in ministry. Some said walking with people during their spiritual journey, positive relationships with the congregants, worshiping and fellowshiping with one another, participating in outreach and service projects, teaching and preaching, and reaching the next generation.
“Perhaps, focusing more directly on these activities could be a way forward, as might be working to cultivate a greater closeness with members, trying to reduce conflict, and emphasizing adaptability,” according to the report. Everyone—churchgoers and leaders—endured unprecedented and unexpected complications and losses in recent years, but working together, they can move beyond enduring to find seasons of thriving in the future.
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