Many Pastors Feel Burned-out and Want to Leave the Ministry, According to Survey

Pastors serve their congregations by feeding them God's word but a recent survey reveals that many pastors feel overworked, burned-out, and tempted to quit.

The 2016 Pastors Survey by ExPastors.com found that out of 577 completed responses, many pastors are going through a difficult time in their ministry.

Burnout and work pressure

Of all participants, 64% said they consider themselves overworked in ministry. Eighty-six percent say they feel like they are unable to meet the demands of ministry work, and a relatively high proportion (77%) say they feel like the church or ministry they serve has unrealistic expectations of them and their family.

In line with these statistics, many respondents (71%) said they have or they are experiencing burnout. More alarmingly, an even larger number of respondents (85%) admit they have considered leaving the ministry.

Personal difficulty

Pastors responding to the survey also revealed that they are going through some personal problems that may or may not be related to ministry.

Of the 577 pastors who responded, 64% said they have wondered if they were really called to ministry. Of the respondents, 61% said they fight depression while in ministry, 62% said they feel lonely, and 65% are battling anxiety.

While the majority of respondents said they have a close friend to share their struggles with (75%), a quarter said they don't have someone to talk to about what they are going through. Less than half (44%) have a mentor to ask for guidance or help.

Consistency

The results for the 2016 survey are consistent with the results for the 2015 Pastors Survey in which more than of respondents said they had doubted their call to ministry, felt unable to meet ministry demands, that there were unrealistic demands or expectations, were feeling burned out, and had considered leaving the ministry.