Pastors' views of discipleship in their churches
Percent of Protestant pastors who agree, 2026 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Believe there are ways to measure discipleship (71%). Lowest: Church does discipleship better than other functions (11%).
- Believe there are ways to measure discipleship: 71%
- Satisfied with discipleship in their church: 52%
- Have an intentional plan for discipling individuals: 52%
Source: Lifeway Research, State of Discipleship Insights Report Equips Leaders for Intentional Disciple Making · State of Discipleship study surveyed more than 2,600 Protestant pastors and more than 2,100 Protestant churchgoers. Article published 2026-06-08.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Believe there are ways to measure discipleship (71%). Lowest: Church does discipleship better than other functions (11%). Believe there are ways to measure discipleship: 71%. Satisfied with discipleship in their church: 52%. Have an intentional plan for discipling individuals: 52%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2026. Source: Lifeway Research, State of Discipleship Insights Report Equips Leaders for Intentional Disciple Making (https://research.lifeway.com/2026/06/08/state-of-discipleship-insights-report-equips-leaders-for-intentional-disciple-making/).
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More Bible & Discipleship statistics
- Americans in the Movable Middle, curious about the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Americans who have not read any of the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Churches with an intentional plan for discipling individuals Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers' agreement with statements about Bible engagement Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers who read the Bible at least a few times a week Lifeway Research, 2026
- Discipleship habits of Protestant churchgoers Lifeway Research, 2026
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.