Pastors Face High Rates Of Burnout

1500 pastors leave the ministry every month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or conflict in their church; 34% of pastors’ marriages end up in divorce; 80% of pastors and 84% of pastors’ wives feel unqualified and discouraged; 50% of pastors would leave if they could make a living doing something else; 80% of seminary and Bible college graduates will leave ministry within the first 5 years; 80% of pastors believe their ministry affected their families negatively; 33% believed ministry was a hazard to their family; 5% felt themselves unable to meet the needs of the job; 90% felt inadequately trained to cope with the demands of ministry; 90% work more than 46 hours per week; 70% of pastors feel that they have lower self-esteem now versus when they started out in ministry; 40% of pastors reported having a serious conflict with a parishioner/congregant at least once a month; 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend – someone they can confide in; 37% of pastors confessed to having been involved in inappropriate sexual behaviour with someone in the church; 60% of pastors’ wives hold full-time jobs or are involved in careers to meet family needs; 63% suffer marriage problems due to congregational difficulties; 81% suffer marriage problems due to insufficient time together; 94% of pastors felt under pressure to have the “ideal” family; 45% of pastors’ wives have no close friends.