PASTORS in the US may have come down a few notches on the happiness and satisfaction indices. Their confidence and satisfaction in their vocation has come down considerably in the last few years, according to Barna data.
Two out of five (i.e. 41 percent) say they have toyed with the idea of quitting ministry in the last one year, a Barna report titled Resilient Pastor series says.
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“The COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on how we live our lives continues to unspool. The full impact of a crisis of its size probably won’t be truly understood for years or even decades, but we are starting to wrap our heads around some of the ways COVID has shaped new norms. For instance, many people came out of COVID with very different feelings about their jobs than they had going into it. And pastors are no exception,” the report says.
“The number of pastors who feel burnt out, lonely or unwell is growing: To put it bluntly, Barna Group’s current data does not paint a pretty picture of the state of the American pastor. Over the past few years, Protestant senior pastors have seen a drop in their job satisfaction, their confidence in their calling and their overall sense of well-being. The number of pastors who are feeling burnt out, lonely or unwell is on the rise, and this is especially true of young pastors. In short, things are a little bleak,” the report adds.
