New Research Exposes Why So Many Pastors Are Leaving Ministry
According to a new study by Lifeway Research, one-third of pastors cite burnout or conflict as a reason for leaving the ministry. The study, which included 730 former pastors from denominations such as Assemblies of God, Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyan, Southern Baptist, explaining why they left their vocation.
The results found that 40% of respondents stated a “change in calling” as the lead reason, while 18% of former pastors left due to conflict in the church and 16% due to burnout, The Christian Post reported.
Additional reasons for leaving included family issues (10%), personal finances (10%), illness (6%), being a poor fit with a church (6%), denominational issues (4%), and the church closing due to the COVID-19 lockdowns (3%).
Lifeway Research also found that conflict was a prevalent reason for pastors leaving. 87% experienced conflict at some point in their previous congregation, 45% experienced significant conflict in their final year, 56% dealt with conflict over proposed changes, and 49% experienced personal attacks.
Regarding tenure, 43% of respondents left after pastoring just one congregation, while another 43% served as senior pastors for 10 years or less. Additionally, over half of former pastors (53%) continue to work in ministry in a different capacity.
Burnout and mental health challenges among pastors have been prevalent in recent years.
For instance, a similar Lifeway Research study in 2021 found that 32% of former pastors cited a “change in calling” as their reason for leaving, while 18% of respondents cited conflict in their church, and 13% cited burnout.
A 2024 survey by the Associated Press revealed that over 40% of clergy had seriously considered leaving their congregations since 2020, with more than half considering quitting ministry altogether, citing reasons such as burnout from collective trauma, declining attendance, and resistance to change.
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Originally published August 18, 2025.
