In 2022, 65 percent of pastors reported feelings of loneliness, compared to 42 percent in 2015.
Pastors also said that just 49 percent felt “well-supported” by people close to them. In 2015, that number was 68 percent.
Also, just 35 percent of pastors reported receiving monthly spiritual support from a network of peers or a mentor.
In its report, Barna said that “a course correction is needed” to support pastors.
Dr. Glenn Packiam, Barna senior fellow and pastor, said, “These relationships do not flourish by accident. They require attention and intentionality…Life is too full of the demands of ministry, the chaos of kids’ activities, and the many unpredictable events for us to just hope that meaningful connection will just happen.”
At home, pastors say they connect with their family, with two in five pastors saying they practice the sabbath with their family and 77 percent saying they spend uninterrupted time with their children, and 24 percent going on a date with their spouse.
The data comes after another survey from Lifeway Research found that 75 percent of pastors say they are “extremely stressed.”
Packiam said, “Pastors who are bucking the trend toward burnout tend to portray a strong connection with others around them, a flourishing connection with God, and a sense of optimism about the future of the Church.”