A devastating study on clergy morale

In a national congregational study done by Mark Chaves and funded by the Lilly Endowment, it was reported that nearly 27 percent of the congregations from every denomination and faith community have experienced a conflict within the last two years that led some people to leave the congregation. Further, our consultant reported from another study that 70% of the pastors fight depression on a regular basis and that 70% of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant or mentor. It was reported as well that Catholic scholar Loughlan Sofield noted that most clergy have no structures to deal with their own issues of anger, grief, loss or other common conflict-generating emotions. In one denomination (not identified) it was reported that 1 in 5 pastors were in the advanced stage of burnout.

These statistics do not surprise me, as I believe that parish pastors have one of the most difficult jobs in society today. An increasing number of pastors who are in their 50's talk with me about being able to hang on till retirement. A larger number of pastors in their 60's talk of early retirement. In the United Church of Christ over 50% of the pastors are age 60 and older, and only 7% are under the age of 35.

We also face an increasing shortage of clergy to serve our UCC churches. I understand this is true in all denominations regardless of whether they are conservative or liberal in their theological points of view.

I was disappointed by the lower-than-expected numbers at the two youth weekends held recently at Pilgrim Hills. The Ohio Conference, in cooperation with Eden Seminary, sponsored two events to challenge young people to consider church vocations as one of the vocational options for their lives.

This means we are not working hard enough to challenge persons to consider God's call in their lives to serve within the church. How many pastors have served your church in the last 50 years? How many persons from your church have entered the Christian ministry in the past 50 years? Most churches have had 5-7 pastors and no persons entering ministry. No wonder there is a shortage.

A 1996 study of United Methodist congregations between the years 1980 and 1993 noted that, on average, churches lost 8% of the 1980 membership in each transition. In fact, pastoral turnover constituted the single most important correlate with membership decline.

I encourage your congregation to have a conversation with your pastor to see how he or she is feeling about the ministry in your parish and what can be done to improve the health of your church’s ministry. The pressure on all of our lives is heavy, whether we are in ministry or some other vocation. But we should be able, at least in the church, to create a vibrant, healthy environment for God's witness and work to be done.

If you need help in your church to work on these issues, your association and conference staffs are ready to assist you. Here is one last statistic from the event I attended. Fifty per cent of the pastors surveyed in the study are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but they have no other way to make a living.

It is sad, very sad.