I meet and talk with over 40 pastors and ministry leaders on a regular basis.  I know of four personally that just left their roles, or are in the process of leaving.  Without breaking their trusted confidence, and including more general themes from other conversations in the past, here are some reasons I’m seeing pastors are leaving.  

They don’t feel aligned with the values of the church they serve.  

Most pastors I know were deeply formed by someone, or a particular church or ministry.  Their experience of God and their relationship to God has shaped them meaningfully. They read the Bible and see particular themes and have a special passion about teaching those themes.  They formed many values over years about what matters in ministry.  They bring those values into their context.  One problem is this: different places define the same words in very disparate ways.  Imagine this:  a pastor interviewing with a church says, “I care deeply about those in the community, and want them to experience life in Christ in this church.”  I don’t know of any board member or elder that would openly disagree with that value.  So, after much discernment, they hire that pastor, perhaps hoping that their interest in “outreach” will lead to greater attendance at the church. But the problem is when that pastor begins spending time in the neighborhood and community, and “not enough time” with church members that we have a conflict of values.  Or, if indeed the renewed interest in outreach leads to more people attending the church, some longtime members didn’t imagine it would lead to so much change of the things they held dear. 

There is much research on this, but here is an example:  in 2015, 72% of pastors reported being very satisfied in their vocation.  Recent data puts that number at about 50%, with pastors under the ageof 45 at 35%.  That satisfaction is directly tied to whether pastors feel like they are doing meaningful work that aligns with their deeply held values. 

“[T]he deeper question -whether your role is genuinely an expression of your gifts and strengths–requires a different kind of time and attention altogether. That’s the work most pastors haven’t had space to do.” Daniel Copeland, Barna’s Vice President of Research

They are tired…of conflict especially.

For a job where many think “you only work one day a week,” ministry and church leadership is exhausting.  I hear pastors talk about the feeling of “always being on.”  Pastors are expected to lead, expected to be present, and expected to be a particular kind of pastor as the circumstance dictates.  Because church members ALSO have deeply held values about what a pastor is and should be.  A beloved former pastor can cast a huge shadow for the current pastor. 

I subscribe to a publication from Christianity Today called CT Pastors.  Recently, I saw the “trending topics” on that platform.  They were:  Church Planting, Depression, Failure, Pastor’s Role, Energy, and Fun.  

According to a recent article, church conflict and burnout are the 2nd and 3rd most common reasons for pastors leaving.  (First is a “change in calling.”).  

Anecdotally, I notice that the most urgent situations that I get calls on revolve around conflict, or how to navigate a possible conflict.  Pastors have become very aware of how their leadership can bring negative feedback.  And they know that if they are trying to lead needed church change brings about conflict.  Being the leader who is blamed for “these changes” is particularly tiring.  

For the last 3 years, I’ve been meeting regularly with two other pastors, in different denominations from mine.  We were talking about recent national gatherings of our groups, and discovered the same thing:  pastors are leaving.  Pastoral church positions remain vacant. Seminaries, the schools tasked with preparing for the next generation of pastors, are declining rapidly in attendance.  (if you look into the research, a handful of seminaries are actually reporting an increase, but many historic and mainline seminaries have dropped dramatically in enrollment).  The three of us wondered what the future holds for many churches looking for pastors to lead them. 

These are just a few of the things I am hearing about why some pastors are leaving.  More to come in future posts!

Will You Give to Support This Work?

The apostle Paul wrote, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (I Corinthians 9:22).  I have a lot of different roles I play in the work I do with ministry leaders.  Sadly, I won’t be able to keep some pastors from quitting. Sometimes that may be the best decision for them and their family.  But I do hope that my presence in their lives helps them discern and work through the various issues they face in leadership and life. 

When you give to my work, you are investing in ministry leaders’ leadership health and helping to accomplish the vision of Standing Stone:  To see healthy ministries in every city transforming their communities for Christ. For my most recent impact report, click  here.

I am still in need of $700 more in monthly support to reach my 2026 goal.  If you, or your church, have any margin to give, OR if your workplace offers matching gifts, I’d love to be considered!