BOULDER, Colo. (BP) — Pastors trail other Christians in relational flourishing, and many say their ministry challenges their marriages and families, Barna and Gloo said in the latest 2025 State of the Church release.
Pastors average 67 compared to other Christians’ 85 on a flourishing scale of 1-100 in relationships, researchers said, and only 28% of pastors actively seek help in the area. Instead, they misidentify their need by asking for help in leadership development, spiritual growth and finances, areas in which they’re relatively strong.
“This means that many congregants in U.S. churches are likely experiencing a greater sense of friendship and community than the pastors leading them,” researchers wrote. “This is a major gap in pastors’ lives and support systems. However, they may be unaware (or unconcerned) that their relational health is falling behind.”
Pastors express concerns regarding their lives at home, including how they relate to their children and how their ministry impacts their wives.
Nearly half, 48%, worry that their spouse feels pressured to act a certain way and keep up appearances, and nearly just as many, 44%, express guilt over how their ministry impacts their marriage. Only 28% said they are satisfied with the time they invest in their marriages.
“Most pastors report strong marriages,” researchers wrote, “…yet ministry creates unique pressures that strain even strong relationships.”
Pastors report struggling with helping their children navigate interpersonal relationships, 30%; managing their technology use, 27%; getting them engaged and away from screens, 22%; navigating their kids’ anxiety, 21%; and ensuring they feel understood, 17%.
Barna released the findings July 15, adding details to a June release regarding trends in pastoral flourishing.
Most pastors, 91%, are married, and 90% have children, with only 3% of pastors having never married. On average, pastors have been married 25 years, and 76% of them consider their spouse their best friend, with 53% saying their spouse understands their struggles and 52% expressing open and healthy communication.
Pastors grade their families well in celebrating each other’s achievements, 82%; having belonging in a faith community, 78%; living peaceably with one another, 76%; having a healthy and visible faith, 72%, and expressing gratitude toward one another, 71%.
Churches can support pastors by establishing marriage support systems, researchers said.
“Just 28% of pastors tell Barna that their church provides any support system for their marriage, yet 75% think it would be at least somewhat beneficial to have such support,” researchers wrote. “Nearly all married pastors who have received church support for their marriage found it valuable.”
The findings are drawn from 551 interviews Barna conducted Sept. 10-17, 2024, with Protestant senior pastors, and 3,508 online interviews Barna conducted Aug. 1-24, 2024, with adults in the U.S.
Barna has tracked faith in America for40 years and partners in State of the Church with technology platform Gloo, founded in 2013. Churches are offered free access to articles and quick insights from the research at Barna.com.
(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)
