Barna data collected in October of 2021 and March of 2022 show that U.S. senior pastors are increasingly more likely to have considered leaving full-time ministry in the past year. What are some of the factors behind this uptick?

The Barna research offers a glimpse into what’s causing pastoral burnout—and perhaps influencing their decisions to leave or stay. Here, we’ll explore pastors’ prioritization of self-care and spiritual formation during their time in ministry.

Despite Challenges, 47% of Pastors Cannot See Themselves Doing Anything Else At first glance, pastors seem to be doing okay. When looking at all U.S. Protestant senior pastors, most at least somewhat agree that, despite ministry challenges, they cannot see themselves doing anything else (47% strongly agree, 30% somewhat agree) and that they feel rewarded in their role as pastor (31% strongly agree, 44% somewhat agree).

As you can see in the above chart, pastors’ agreement is more muted, however, when it comes to saying self-care is a priority. Lifting another layer—looking specifically at pastors who have or have not considered quitting in the past year—exposes some of the stark contrasts in pastors’ well-being and self-care.

While 63 percent of pastors who have not considered quitting full-time ministry strongly agree they cannot see themselves doing anything else despite the challenges of being a pastor, only one-quarter of pastors who have considered leaving (25%) says the same. Additionally, pastors who haven’t considered quitting are more likely to strongly agree they feel rewarded in their role as pastors compared to those who’ve thought about leaving (44%. vs. 13%).