Pastors who agree with statements about the pressures of ministry
Percent of pastors who agree, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Must be on-call 24 hours a day (67%). Lowest: Church had significant conflict this last year (19%).
- Must be on-call 24 hours a day: 67%
- Role is frequently overwhelming: 57%
- Demands often greater than they can handle: 47%
Source: Lifeway Research, What Does It Take for Pastors to Stay in Ministry? · Lifeway Research pastor study reported in 2025. Article published 2025-08-13.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Must be on-call 24 hours a day (67%). Lowest: Church had significant conflict this last year (19%). Must be on-call 24 hours a day: 67%. Role is frequently overwhelming: 57%. Demands often greater than they can handle: 47%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, What Does It Take for Pastors to Stay in Ministry? (https://research.lifeway.com/2025/08/13/what-does-it-take-for-pastors-to-stay-in-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.