Newly=
released statistics for 2025 are somber:
CHURCHES:
**Over 15,000 churches will close in 2=
025; about 4,000 new churches will be started
 =
;
**46% of Americans believe church is important to them now,=
down from average of 70% for last 6 decades
=
**Over 1,500 pastors left the ministry every=
month last year.
**Over half of =
churches in America cannot pay their pastor a full-time salary (many part-t=
ime pastors have multiple jobs to survive)
**The profession of “Pastor” is near the bottom of=
a survey of the most-respected professions, just above “used ca=
r salesman”
**Only 1 out of =
every 10 pastors who started a career as pastor will retire as a =
pastor. (That is stunning. I know several men who left churches and so=
ld insurance or Amway, etc. Money or lack of it was the driving force, alon=
g with the pressures of the ministry)
**=
6 out of 10 churches are plateaued or declining in attendance. Mo=
re than half saw fewer than 10 converts in the last 12 months.
PASTORS:
**85% of pastors b=
elieve the mission of the church is to reach the lost; only 42% o=
f practicing Christians feel the same
*=
*38% of pastors are thinking of quitting the ministry. Almost hal=
f of these (46%) are under age 45.
=
**72% of pastors report working between 55 to =
;75 hours per week.
**84% of p=
astors feel they are on call 24/7.
**80%=
of pastors believe pastoral ministry has negatively affecte=
d their families. 65% of pastors feel their family lives in a "gl=
ass house" and fear they are not good enough to meet expectations.
**78% of pastors report having their v=
acation and personal time interrupted with ministry duties or expectations.=
**65% of pastors feel they have&nb=
sp;not taken enough vacation time with their family over the la=
st 5 years.
**66% of church m=
embers expect a minister and family to live at a higher moral sta=
ndard than themselves.
**90% of p=
astors report the ministry was completely different than what the=
y thought it would be like before they entered the
ministry.=
**95% of pastors report no=
t praying daily or regularly with their spouse.
**57% of pastors believe they do not receive a =
livable wage and are unable to pay their bills.
**80% of pastors expect conflict within their church.
**70% of pastors do not ha=
ve someone they consider to be a close friend.
**But 90% of pastors feel they are called and serving in the pl=
ace where God has called them.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
=
"Jesus Knows Me, This I=
Love!"