Ed Stetzer: Do Pastors Really Hate the Ministry? by Ed Stetzer

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Ed Stetzer: Do Pastors Really Hate the Ministry?

Ed Stetzer: Do Pastors Really Hate The Ministry?

By Ed Stetzer on Mar 27, 2025

EdStetzer.com

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Ed Stetzer shares insights from a new study that reveals what pastors really think about the ministry.

Scripture: None

Tags: Preaching, preaching

According to just about every stat I hear, pastors hate the ministry, are miserable, would get out what if they could—and that it is hurting their family. You've probably heard these statistics at a pastors conference. So, we decided to do a crazy thing—we actually asked them.

We find a different picture when we actually ask the pastors. There is discouragement and loneliness, but when 98 percent agree it is a privilege to be a pastor, we also know there is a great honor to being a pastor.

Here is a portion of our release:

A full 98 percent agree with the statement, "I feel privileged to be a pastor," with 93 percent strongly agreeing. Only about 0.5 percent of pastors disagree with the statement.

Yet more than half (55 percent) also agree with the statement, "I find that it is easy to get discouraged," and 55 percent say being in pastoral ministry makes them feel lonely at times.

Pastors 65 and older are also most likely to strongly disagree (39 percent) with the statement, "Pastoral ministry makes me feel lonely at times." Twenty-nine percent of those ages 55-64 strongly disagree, as well as 21 percent ages 45-54 and 19 percent ages 18-44.

Ironically, pastors of larger churches are lonelier. Of those in congregations with average attendance of 250 or more, 17 percent strongly disagree that pastoral ministry makes them feel lonely at times. In comparison, 32 percent with churches of 0-49 and 27 percent with churches of 100-249 strongly disagree.

Pastors feel privileged, but clearly the reality of constant service can take its toll. There is discouragement and loneliness in ministry. It appears that the larger the church the more present the loneliness.

Positively, nearly eight in 10 pastors (79 percent) disagree with the statement, "Being in ministry has had a negative effect on my family." A majority (58 percent) strongly disagree. Twenty percent somewhat disagree, 15 percent somewhat agree and 4 percent strongly agree...

The study found that 18 percent of pastors have more than 10 close friends in their congregation. Sixteen percent have six to 10, 38 percent have three to five, 10 percent have two, and 4 percent have one. Twelve percent of pastors have no close friends in their congregation.

Relationships matter and it appears that pastors value those friendships—particularly as they get older. Older pastors (and I would add, younger pastors with wisdom) have developed more close friendships within their church and are less likely to be discouraged or lonely. This combination mirrors workplace studies that have shown that more friendships at work correspond with higher satisfaction with a person's job and life.

Ed Stetzer (website: EdStetzer.com)

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Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is a professor and dean at Wheaton College where he also serves as Executive Director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches, trained pastors and church planters on six continents, has earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates, and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine, and is frequently cited in, interviewed by, and writes for news outlets such as USAToday and CNN. He is the Founding Editor of The Gospel Project, a curriculum used by more than 1.7 million individuals each week for bible story.

His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates.

He serves as interim teaching pastor of Calvary Church in New York City and serves as teaching pastor at Highpoint Church.