People pastors share struggles with at least once a month
Percent of pastors surveyed by Lifeway Research, 2026 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Spouse (74%). Lowest: Lay leaders in the church (41%).
- Spouse: 74%
- Another pastor: 60%
- Close friend: 60%
Source: Lifeway Research, 5 Challenges of Pastoral Ministry: The Difference Between Struggling and Thriving · Article published 2026-02-25.
See all 5 categories, the full chart and more
Free account: full chart, CSV and PNG downloads, ready-to-paste citation, branded share image, and a discussion question for your team.
Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Spouse (74%). Lowest: Lay leaders in the church (41%). Spouse: 74%. Another pastor: 60%. Close friend: 60%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2026. Source: Lifeway Research, 5 Challenges of Pastoral Ministry: The Difference Between Struggling and Thriving (https://research.lifeway.com/2026/02/25/5-challenges-of-pastoral-ministry-the-difference-between-struggling-and-thriving/).
Where can I get the full data and a citation?
Create a free Leader Insights account to open the full chart, download CSV or PNG, copy a citation and save the statistic to your own library.
More Mental Health & Well-being statistics
- Gen Alpha teens on feeling worse about themselves after social media Springtide Research Institute, 2026
- Pastors who feel isolated in their personal struggles Lifeway Research, 2026
- Pastors who struggle with consistently resting Lifeway Research, 2026
- Agree their social relationships are supportive and rewarding Springtide Research Institute, 2025
- Americans who have experienced or witnessed trauma American Bible Society, 2025
- Gen Alpha teens' view of open discussion about mental health Springtide Research Institute, 2025
All Mental Health & Well-being statistics · All 2026 statistics
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.