Pastors' experience of ministry pressure
Percent of U.S. pastors agreeing with each statement, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Must be available around the clock (67%). Lowest: Family resents the demands of ministry (16%).
- Must be available around the clock: 67%
- Role is frequently overwhelming: 57%
- Often feel demands are greater than they can handle: 47%
Source: Lifeway Research, Debunking the Myths: Ministry Burnout and Leaving the Ministry · Article published 2025-07-15.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Must be available around the clock (67%). Lowest: Family resents the demands of ministry (16%). Must be available around the clock: 67%. Role is frequently overwhelming: 57%. Often feel demands are greater than they can handle: 47%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Debunking the Myths: Ministry Burnout and Leaving the Ministry (https://research.lifeway.com/2025/07/15/debunking-the-myths-ministry-burnout-and-leaving-the-ministry/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.