A 2025 Lifeway Research article indicated while only 1% of protestant pastors on average decide to step down from ministry each year, the reasons for them stepping down are dynamic, with pastors facing many unique challenges and uncertainties.
The research highlighted a change in calling as the primary reason pastors step down from the pulpit, with 40% of pastors across four denominations citing this in connection with leaving the ministry.
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Among other leading causes are burnout (16%), family issues (10%), and finances (10%). A separate study based on 2022 post-pandemic Barna research recognized burnout and overwhelming stress as a major factor driving pastors to quit ministry.
Burnout, stress and isolation
Fifty-six percent of study respondents cited burnout and stress as their primary reason for stepping down. The study also linked increased burnout in 2022 to shifting church structures resulting from the pandemic, such as navigating the growing use of social media and complex organizational dynamics.
Beyond an increasingly digital, on-demand cultural context, pastors are routinely subject to stress resulting from the nature of their positions. In an interview with Baptist Standard, David Bowman, executive director of Tarrant Baptist Association in Fort Worth, described this issue.
“[Pastors] are overwhelmed with all the work they have to do. It never ends. You take care of details all day at the office, … you come home and you’re having dinner with your family [when] the phone rings and somebody is either seriously ill or there’s been a death,” Bowman said.
Bowman described the pastor’s role as a leader and the toll it takes: “There are [many] leadership demands on a pastor. If a church is in a building program or relocation or something, … that requires extra time and energy you never get back.”
Pastors, who are expected to balance the demands of spiritual leadership within their communities, suffer as a result of isolation and loneliness associated with bearing the weight of a congregation’s needs. A 2024 Barna study claimed nearly 1 in 5 U.S. pastors contemplated self-harm or suicide within the past year.
“One of our adversary’s favorite schemes is to isolate us,” Bowman said. “Pastors often feel like they’re the only one carrying that load. … They’re not really good at sharing [it.] They don’t trust that other people can help them. … So, they get isolated.”
Physical, emotional and mental health among pastors was recorded as lower than the general population, with researchers observing a strong link between a pastor’s reduced conviction in their vocational calling and a drop in their overall well-being.
Significance of sabbatical rest
The National Association of Evangelicals conducted a survey on pastor sabbaticals, concluding 63% of evangelical pastors have a church sabbatical policy, but many churches do not prioritize sabbaticals. Church policies surrounding sabbaticals vary significantly.
Larry Floyd, executive director of missions for El Paso Baptist Association, explained many pastors do not use sabbatical leave for necessary rest, resulting in burnout: “As directors of missions, we are to promote the health of the pastor. Otherwise, we won’t [have] a pastor.”
“Sabbaticals should be more often and for rest,” Floyd said. “Six weeks off every five years, not including vacation. Too many times, it isn’t really a sabbatical since many pastors [continue] to work on their Ph.D. or still entertain phone calls.”
A 2022 Lifeway Research article connected an increase in pastor burnout to a lack of proper sabbatical rest. Sabbaticals were highlighted as a valuable time of reset for pastors, providing them with renewed energy and vision during a season of ministry burnout.
Age is an additional factor
A 2022 Barna research survey noted finding younger pastors is becoming a challenge. As of 2022, only 16% of Protestant senior pastors are 40 years old or younger, and the average age of pastors is 52.
Younger pastors also suffer from higher rates of burnout than their older colleagues, compounding the age issue, the research found.
Floyd emphasized age as a major factor influencing pastor’s decisions to step down: “Too many older pastors stay way too long in their retirement years out of necessity or obligation. This creates a dying church and a church who doesn’t have a succession plan.”
Research suggests the age issue could result in a succession crisis, with many churches unprepared for the transition. Four in five pastors (79 percent) agree churches are not taking initiative to raise up the next generation of pastors.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Faith Pratt and originally published by Baptist Standard.
