Greatest Needs Overall
U.S. Pastors Identify Their Greatest Needs
Pastors face unique difficulties inherent in their career, but what are their greatest needs? Pastors themselves say they’re most concerned about seeing their churchgoers grow spiritually and making connections with those outside of their churches.
After speaking directly with pastors to gather their perspectives on their ministry and personal challenges, Lifeway Research surveyed 1,000 U.S. pastors for the 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study to discover what they see as their most pressing issues.
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
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Why Pastors Must Acknowledge Their Own Needs — Mark Croston
5 Self-Assessment Questions Pastors Need to Ask Right Now — Mark Dance
Overcoming Apathy in Your Church — Uche Anizor
4 Accountability Firewalls Every Pastor Needs — Mark Dance
Pastor, Is What You’re Chasing Worth It — Andrew Hébert
17 Ministry Struggles Pastors Face — Aaron Earls
Ministry Difficulties
Pastors Concerned with Growing Leaders, Reaching Outsiders
When thinking about ministry difficulties, pastors say they’re most concerned with growing the people inside the church and reaching those outside it.
U.S. Protestant pastors say developing leaders (77%) and connecting with people not involved with a church (76%) are their two most prominent ministry needs.
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
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5 Steps to Create a Discipleship Plan — Ken Braddy
The Obvious Secret to Building Relationships With Unchurched People — Q&A with missionary Chris Julian
How to Build (and Sustain) a Healthy Volunteer Culture — Danny Franks
12 Truths of Building a Culture of Prayer in Your Church — Steven Blake
Video: Why Aren’t Churches More Outward Focused? — Tim Rhodus
6 Ways to Develop a Culture of Evangelism — Catherine Renfro
3 Truths About Your Non-Religious Neighbor — Ben Mandrell
Video: Why Aren’t Churches More Outward Focused?
Why It’s Vital to Invest in the Women of Your Church — Kelly King
6 Essentials to Onboard and Train New Volunteers — Todd Adkins
3 Practical Steps to Solve the Student Ministry Volunteer Shortage — Ben Trueblood
How to Turn Ministry Difficulty into Delight — Drake Caudill
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Spiritual Needs
Pastors Identify 7 Spiritual Needs for Their Life, Ministry
Churchgoers may think their church leaders have it all together spiritually, but pastors admit they have room to grow.
In the Greatest Needs of Pastors study, most U.S. Protestant pastors say they need to personally invest in seven different spiritual needs.
One in 20 pastors (5%) say their own spiritual needs is the area most challenging for them or the one that requires the most attention compared to the six other categories covered in the Greatest Needs of Pastors study. While each of the other categories has more pastors who say that category is the most challenging for them today, spiritual needs is the only category in which most pastors agree every issue raised is one that’s important for them to invest in.
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
Related articles:
3 Uncommon Habits Pastors Need to Build Friendships — Daryl Crouch
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Video: Why do Pastors Struggle With Prayer?
Trusting God in the Mountains and Valleys of Ministry — Erik Reed
2 Big Hindrances to Pastoral Prayer — Ronnie Martin
How to Pray When You’re Burned Out — Drake Caudill
3 Practices That Reveal the Power of a Vulnerable Pastor — Daryl Crouch
Video: Why Pastors Need to Learn How to Pray
How Can Pastors Build Healthy Church Relationships — Ronnie Martin
Why Is Praying so Hard for Pastors? — Drake Caudill
How to Build Friendships With Other Pastors — Jacob Lewis
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Skill Development
Pastors Say They Need to Develop Disciple-Making, Technology Skills
Disciple making is the primary call of every pastor, and most recognize this as a skill they should continue to develop as church leaders.
According to the Greatest Needs of Pastors study, U.S. Protestant pastors say disciple making and technology are the two areas of skill development they most need to invest in to help hem be better pastors.
“These findings come in a season when pastors feel a spotlight on their ability to lead,” said Ben Mandrell, president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources. “They’re getting more honest about how inadequate they feel. Many pastors fear at some point their perceived shortcomings are going to be on display for their flocks to see.”
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
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Video: How is Communication Tied to Discipleship?
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Self-care
Pastors Report Struggling with Time Management, Over-Commitment
The primary needs pastors face in their personal lives focus on how they handle their time and work. Half (51%) say time management is an aspect that needs attention or investment today, while 43% specifically point to developing a balance between work and home.
Fewer U.S. Protestant pastors say they need to devote additional attention directly to their children (29%), marriages (26%), caring for aging parents (23%) or financial stress (18%). Close to 1 in 6 (17%) say none of these are areas in need of specific investment.
“Pastors were not being asked if these areas of personal life matter. They were asked to indicate those areas that need additional focus today,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Nowhere is it more likely than personal life, for a need to emerge for a pastor because they are giving attention elsewhere. There are only so many hours to split between work and home, and finding the right balance is important.”
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
Related Articles:
Why Pastors Need Hobbies — Aaron Earls
Do You Have an Arrogance of Capacity? — David Loveless
5 Signs a Pastor Needs to Take a Sunday Off — Ben Mandrell
4 Ways Pastors Can Reclaim Their Time — Marty Duren
Personal life
Pastors Report Struggling with Time Management, Over-Commitment
Pastors, who make a career of caring for the needs of others, admit they often need to give attention to caring for themselves. Nine in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors point to at least one area in the self-care category as a need for them, and 14% say the category of self-care is the most challenging for them.
More than half of pastors say they find consistently exercising (59%) and avoiding over-commitment and overwork (55%) to be challenging in their ministry. Slightly less than half say they struggle with eating right (49%), taking time away from their job for hobbies or other interests (47%) and consistently resting (45%). Far fewer say they face an ongoing illness (13%), while 10% say none of these is an area of difficulty.
“Pastors carry heavy burdens that include expectations of others as well as self-imposed demands,” said Ben Mandrell, president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, “There is a correlation between trusting in God—as explored in a previous release of the Greatest Needs of Pastors study—and ability to find work-life balance.”
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
Related articles:
3 Truths for Pastors Seeking the Right Work/Life Balance — James Ross
What if My Calling Causes My Kids Pain? — Holly Knight
Do Pastors Care Too Much? — Chris Maxwell
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6 Times to be a Parent Not a Pastor — Barnabas Piper
Video: Why Time Management is Hard for Pastors
Mental Challenges
Stress Tops Mental Challenges Pastors Face
In the current fast-paced, high-pressure American culture, pastors are stressed, and they know that needs to change.
According to the latest release in Lifeway Research’s 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study, of all the mental challenges U.S. Protestant pastors face, stress stands out above the rest. Distractions and discouragement are also significant factors for pastors when it comes to mental challenges in ministry.
Most pastors point to stress as a mental challenge they are facing in ministry (63%). Nearly half of pastors say discouragement (48%) and distraction (48%) are ministry mental challenges, while less than one-third of pastors point to loneliness or lack of friendship (28%), depression (18%) or lack of contentment (17%). Another 14% aren’t sure or say none of these are mental challenges for them.
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
Related articles:
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Video: Dealing With Stress in Ministry
3 Areas of Stress for a Pastor — Matt Henslee
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Video: When Pastors Struggle With Depression
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People dynamics
Apathy in churches looms large for pastors
Three in 4 U.S. Protestant pastors (75%) say apathy or lack of commitment is a people dynamic they find challenging in their congregations. Among all 44 issues pastors identified, developing leaders and volunteers and fostering connections with unchurched people are the only issues more pastors say they recognize as a need.
Close to half of pastors say they find it challenging in their ministries to deal with people’s strong opinions about non-essentials (48%), resistance to change in the church (46%) and people’s political views (44%). Around a third point to people’s unrealistic expectations of the pastor (35%) and caring too much about people’s approval or criticism (32%). Fewer than 1 in 10 (8%) say none of these are challenging for them as a pastor.
For more information, read the release and view the complete report.
Related articles:
Overcoming Apathy in Your Church — Uche Anizor
Video: A Pastor’s Response to Apathy in the Church
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