BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Pastors have a lot of thoughts about discipleship, but they aren’t sure it’s happening in their churches.
In the first part of the State of Discipleship study from Lifeway Research, U.S. Protestant pastors shared their understanding of what discipleship means and how it best occurs. The full State of Discipleship will be released over the next year, providing the perspectives of both pastors and churchgoers.
“Making disciples was the Great Commission Jesus gave His followers before He returned to heaven,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “This biblical priority warrants that church leaders regularly take a careful look in a mirror to see the state of discipleship in their congregations. This study provides a view of the state of discipleship across all Protestant churches in the U.S.”
In general, pastors have a vague satisfaction with the discipleship happening at their churches but no real way of determining if that is valid. Half (52%) are satisfied with discipleship and spiritual formation in their churches, but only 8% strongly agree. Similarly, 52% have an intentional plan for discipling individuals in their congregations and encouraging their spiritual growth.
Additionally, 7 in 10 (71%) believe there are ways to measure discipleship in a congregation. Despite their current satisfaction and belief in measurements, however, just 30% say their churches have specific methods for measuring discipleship, including only 5% who strongly agree.
Discipleship components
When asked about discipleship, pastors volunteered varying key concepts. They’re most likely to say spiritual growth or discipline (12%) and Bible study and reading or Scripture memorization (10%) are components of discipleship. Some point to mentoring or meeting one on one (7%), teaching/training (6%), prayer (6%), making disciples (5%) and groups (5%).
One in 25 pastors mention relationships (4%), accountability (4%), obedience or following Jesus (4%), equipping believers (4%), sanctification or becoming more Christlike (4%), and community (4%). Slightly fewer say discipleship involves time (3%) and serving (3%).
Other aspects of discipleship specified by pastors include Bible knowledge or literacy (2%), evangelism or outreach (2%), application (2%), maturity (2%), leadership (2%), and commitment (2%). Fewer say doctrine (1%), Great Commission (1%), intentionality (1%), multiplication (1%), the gospel (1%), strengthening or iron sharpening iron (<1%), or fellowship (<1%). Additionally, 1% of U.S. Protestant pastors say they don’t know.
“In one sense, discipleship simply brings intentionality to following Jesus Christ, but it quickly becomes complex when we consider the many ways we need to walk in obedience and how to encourage these in a local church,” McConnell said. “The variety of ways that pastors describe key elements of discipleship illustrates there are multiple paths but also highlights the need for a framework for thinking through how a church is approaching discipleship.”
Discipleship priorities
With pastors having many of those components of discipleship in their minds, it’s no wonder they often have different priorities and plans for spiritual growth among the people in their congregations.
Pastors are split on what best describes the first priority of activities included in their church’s plan for discipling people. Almost half (46%) say they are more focused on biblical knowledge, while 38% focus on relationship and encouragement. Fewer say their plan prioritizes equipping and “how-to” (9%), or experience and service (5%).
Around 9 in 10 Protestant pastors (89%) say they use sermons during the weekly worship service as at least one approach to discipleship and encourage the spiritual development of adults in their congregations. Most churches also use adult Sunday school classes (69%), adult small group Bible studies (62%), women’s groups or classes (57%), and pastor-led teaching times like Sunday or Wednesday evenings (54%). Fewer point to men’s groups or classes (45%), study groups or classes for all adults (42%), or mentoring or coaching relationships (31%). Around 1 in 7 (14%) specifically use accountability groups.
A third of pastors (33%) say the weekly sermon is the most important for their adult discipleship ministry. Almost 1 in 6 say adult small group Bible study (18%) or adult Sunday school (18%) is top priority for their congregations. One in 10 (10%) highlights the pastor-led teaching times outside of Sunday morning. Fewer mention mentoring (7%), study groups for all adults (6%), accountability groups (2%), men’s groups (2%) or women’s groups (1%).
“Ninety-nine percent of churches have at least one approach they use to disciple adults in their congregation, and on average, churches use more than four methods,” McConnell said. “Discipleship is clearly important to churches. Pastors are not saying they’re trusting a program, but they recognize they must have systems to encourage spiritual development.”
Discipleship plans
Among churches that have a discipleship plan, it might not be unified throughout their ministries to men, women, students, children and other groups. Pastors with a plan are split between having each ministry develop its own plan for discipling individuals (50%) and having a single discipleship plan that all ministries take part in (45%). Another 5% aren’t sure.
Not every church has targeted discipleship programs for various groups within the congregation. Two in 3 pastors (66%) say their churches have a specific program for the spiritual growth of women. Slightly fewer (61%) say the same about men. Most churches have targeted discipleship programs for middle and high school students (57%) and elementary age children (57%). Around a third target young adults (36%) and preschoolers (34%) with discipleship programs. One in 5 (21%) do so for college-age adults. Almost 1 in 7 (14%) say they don’t have targeted spiritual growth programs for any of these groups.
“Among all Protestant churches, more than a quarter have decentralized discipleship plans for ministries, less than a quarter have a single discipleship plan for their whole church, and around half do not have an intentional discipleship plan,” said McConnell, “Healthy churches have a plan for discipleship. Clearly, the first step for encouraging spiritual development is developing an intentional plan to do so. And the elements and scope of those plans can vary greatly.”
Discipleship in community
However churches seek to help their people grow spiritually, pastors believe that growth will happen best with other people involved. Almost all (95%) say discipleship is not completed in a program but in a relationship. Most believe that disciple-making relationships must include physical presence. Only 22% believe discipleship can be as effective virtually as in-person, while 3 in 4 (75%) disagree.
With that, 7 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors believe discipleship is best accomplished one-on-one or in groups among no more than five people. Specifically, 2 in 5 (40%) say it’s best in small groups of two to five believers, while 29% place the emphasis on one believer discipling another one-on-one. Another 17% say discipleship is best accomplished in small groups of six to 25 believers. Few say the right number for discipleship is an individual believer on their own (2%) or in a large group of more than 25 (1%). One in 10 (11%) aren’t sure.
“There is a clear discrepancy in the discipleship thinking of many pastors,” said McConnell. “Seven in 10 say discipleship is most effective with close relationships, but a third say their large group sermons are the top discipling ministry of their church. While preaching is definitely a biblical activity required of pastors that can encourage sound doctrine and unity, good discipleship requires just as much intentionality in relational approaches to discipleship.”
For more information, view the complete report and visit LifewayResearch.com.
Methodology
The survey of 2,620 Protestant pastors was conducted Sept. 10-30, 2024. Invitations were emailed to a probability sample of Protestant pastors who were recruited by phone using random samples selected from all Protestant churches. An oversample of Southern Baptist pastors was randomly selected from all Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches with a pastor and an email listed. The 2,176 Baptist responses were weighted down to reflect their correct proportion of Protestant churches. Each survey was completed by the senior pastor, minister or priest at the church. Responses were weighted by region, church size and denominational category to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 2,620 surveys. The sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 2.05%. This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in subgroups.
(EDITOR’S NOTE — Aaron Earls is a writer for LifeWay Christian Resources.)
