THE RESEARCH
Facing the Truth
What hundreds of pastors and ministry leaders told us about loneliness, pressure, and the expectations they carry.
1 in 3
report high isolation, unchanged since 2023
41%
feel high pressure to meet other people's expectations
4.6Ă—
more frequent burnout worry among high-pressure leaders
4 to 1
more pastors want a coach or counselor than have one
ABOUT THE STUDY
We Asked. 703 Leaders Answered.
Between September 2023 and January 2024 we surveyed 703 pastors and ministry leaders across the United States. Lead pastors, executive pastors, associates, youth pastors, and worship leaders. A year later, a second group of 186 answered a revised survey, and the results held. Everybody knows pastors are tired. We wanted to know what's underneath it.
WHAT WE FOUND
Six Things Every Church Leader Should Know
1 in 3
Loneliness isn't going away.
About one in three leaders report high isolation. That number held steady from 2023 to 2025, even as national surveys showed fewer pastors thinking about quitting.
2.3Ă—
Expectations are the strongest link.
41% of leaders feel strong pressure to meet other people's expectations. They're more than twice as likely to be lonely as leaders under little pressure (45% vs. 20%).
4.6Ă—
The same pressure tracks with burnout.
Among leaders under heavy pressure, 64% often worry about burning out. Among leaders under little pressure, only 14% do. That's more than four times as many.
25%
The biggest barrier is internal.
We asked pastors what most keeps them from being real. The top answer was their own self-doubt and burnout at 25%. Expectations from the congregation came second at 17%.
4 to 1
Pastors lack the support they want.
60% lean mostly on family and friends, but only 6% say that's what they need. About four times as many want a counselor, coach or cohort as actually have one.
1 in 7
The most at-risk often look fine.
About one in seven leaders don't feel lonely but carry heavy pressure or doubt they can be real with anyone. Because they seem fine, a simple "How are you doing?" will miss them.
“The very thing that allows you to speak from the heart is the very thing you fear will be used to condemn you—vulnerability.”
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—A PASTOR IN THE STUDY
WHAT IT MEANS
The Problem Isn't the Pastor. It's the Conditions.
Pastors don't need to be convinced that being real matters. They rated authenticity 9.3 out of 10. But valuing it didn't protect anyone from loneliness. What made the difference was whether the role let them practice it.
Every strong pattern in this study points to the environment pastors lead in, not their character. That's good news. You can't make someone care more. You can change the conditions they serve in.
THE FULL REPORT
Read Every Finding
23 pages with every number and chart, what pastors wrote in their own words, how we did the study and the limits of what the data can tell us. Read it yourself. Then read it with your leadership team.
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WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHURCH?
These Are National Numbers. Yours Are Closer to Home.
This study tells you what's true across hundreds of churches. It can't tell you what's true in yours. That's what our church consulting is for. We sit down with your pastor, staff, and board and tell you the truth about what we find from your own honest answers.
The first conversation is free. Or ask for a sample report and see exactly what you'd get before you spend a dollar.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
Facing the Truth was led by Timothy Eldred, founder and CEO of The Authentic Pastor. Respondents came from our audience and chose to take part, so the sample leans male, experienced, and toward larger churches. The full report covers the methods and limits in detail.