Though almost all pastors feel privileged to be in ministry, a majority also experience loneliness and discouragement, according to a new survey.
LifeWay Research conducted the recently released survey of 1,000 American Protestant pastors Aug. 17-24 and found that 98 percent agree with the statement, "I feel privileged to be a pastor."
Yet more than half (55 percent) also agree with the statement, "I find that it is easy to get discouraged," and 55 percent say being in pastoral ministry makes them feel lonely at times.
Ironically, pastors of larger churches are lonelier. Of those in congregations with average attendance of 250 or more, 17 percent strongly disagree that pastoral ministry makes them feel lonely at times. In comparison, 32 percent with churches of 0-49 and 27 percent with churches of 100-249 strongly disagree.
To read more about the study, check out www.lifeway.com.
