Pastors in America Face Growing Discontent Despite Improved Mental Health
A new survey found that American pastors reported declining satisfaction with their ministry despite showing improvement in their mental health.
According to the 2026 State of the Church survey, conducted by Barna, in partnership with faith-based technology company Gloo, over 60% of pastors reported emotional and mental exhaustion, a decline from three-quarters a decade ago. Additionally, there was a 20 percent decrease in the number of pastors who feel inadequately prepared to do their jobs in the past three years (64% in 2023 to 44% in 2026).
Meanwhile, slightly over half of pastors (52%) described themselves as “very satisfied” today, a sharp decrease from 72% of ministers who said the same in 2015. However, there was an increase from 26% to 40% percent of pastors who reported feeling “somewhat satisfied” in ministry, CBN News reported.
“Pastors are in the most emotionally healthy place they’ve been in a while regarding vocation,” Daniel Copeland, vice president of research for Barna, said in a statement. “But the satisfaction data suggest they may be settling into a more sustainable — but less deeply fulfilling — experience of the work itself.”
Barna provided additional data explaining the chasm between calling and contentment has to deal with, in part, with the combination of pastors' roles and responsibilities and their unique strengths and passions.
“The confidence rebound and declining feelings of inadequacy are genuinely encouraging,” said Copeland. “But if the job itself isn’t working — and the satisfaction data suggest it may not be — the right response is to listen to pastors, then empower them to show us what ministry could look like.”
For instance, data released by Barna in 2023 revealed that a majority of pastors (60%) enjoyed preaching and teaching the most, while others said discipling believers at 8% and practical pastoral care (like visiting the sick or elderly) at 7% was their favorite part of their jobs.
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Originally published May 18, 2026.
