Reasons pastors say they left their previous church
Percent of pastors, 2021 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Took last church as far as they could (54%). Lowest: Asked to leave (8%).
- Took last church as far as they could: 54%
- Family needed a change: 34%
- Conflict in the church: 23%
Source: Lifeway Research, Are More Pastors Quitting Today? · Lifeway Research surveyed 1,500 pastors. Article published 2021-05-13.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Took last church as far as they could (54%). Lowest: Asked to leave (8%). Took last church as far as they could: 54%. Family needed a change: 34%. Conflict in the church: 23%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2021. Source: Lifeway Research, Are More Pastors Quitting Today? (https://research.lifeway.com/2021/05/13/are-more-pastors-quitting-today/).
Where can I get the full data and a citation?
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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.