A new study from Lifeway Research found close to 1% of evangelical and historically Black Protestant senior pastors step away from the pulpit each year—a rate statistically unchanged from a 2015 Lifeway Research study.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research noted — “COVID-19 was neither a small nor short-lived stressor for pastors. Many have speculated that pastors have been opting out of the pastorate as a result. That is not the case. They are remaining faithful to the calling at levels similar to those seen before the pandemic.”
The August-September 2021 study surveyed more than 1,500 pastors.
In that time frame, some stepped away from the pulpit for a different ministry role or are working in a non-ministry position. Combined, those two groups who leave the pastorate before retirement reveal an annual pastor attrition rate of around 1.5%.
McConnell said, “COVID-19 is not the only pressure pastors face nor is it the most likely reason pastors from a decade ago are no longer pastoring. Baby Boomer pastors are reaching retirement age, and while many continue pastoring for years afterward, retirement is still the most common reason a pastor from 2011 is not pastoring a decade later.”