What former pastors are doing now
Percent of former senior pastors in four Protestant denominations, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Working in ministry in a role other than pastor (53%). Lowest: Looking for work (2%).
- Working in ministry in a role other than pastor: 53%
- Working in a non-ministry role: 32%
- Early retirement: 7%
Source: Lifeway Research, Former Pastors Share Reasons Behind Their Ministry Exit · Lifeway Research study of former senior pastors in four Protestant denominations who stepped down before retirement age. Article published 2025-08-12.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Working in ministry in a role other than pastor (53%). Lowest: Looking for work (2%). Working in ministry in a role other than pastor: 53%. Working in a non-ministry role: 32%. Early retirement: 7%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Former Pastors Share Reasons Behind Their Ministry Exit (https://research.lifeway.com/2025/08/12/former-pastors-share-reasons-behind-their-ministry-exit/).
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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.