A study conducted by Barna and Gloo revealed that politics is among the top three topics Americans are least interested in hearing pastors mention.
According to the Baptist Press, the study found that when given a choice of nine topics to avoid, 25 percent of participants chose “perspectives on social and political issues,” tied with “dating,” while 19 percent selected “singleness.”
These findings are part of the latest release in the “State of the Church 2025” initiative, which Barna Group researchers and the technology platform Gloo launched in October.
Among pastors, 45 percent admitted they do not feel equipped to address “politics and civic engagement,” while an even larger number, 52 percent, said they felt ill-prepared to tackle “social justice and equality” as well as “multiculturalism and diversity.”
The November release from the State of the Church 2025 primarily focuses on leadership trends, identifying six key trends that indicate a pivotal change in church leadership following the COVID-19 pandemic era.
Research found that both Christians and non-Christians over the age of 13 are reluctant to hear pastors address political issues, yet this topic remains significant in pastoral work.
One-third of pastors(33%) reported that political division has negatively impacted their credibility. During the peak of pastoral burnout in 2022, “current political divisions” were cited as the third most common reason (38 percent) pastors considered quitting.
Today, a mere one-fifth of pastors feel equipped to lead discussions on politics and civic engagement. Researchers noted that “pastors are dealing with the fallout of political polarization and pressure to be a guiding voice on tough topics – all while feeling ill-equipped for the task.”
Among practicing Christians, two-thirds give their church high ratings for having trusted leaders and clear communication, according to the research. Notably, Only 8 percent of pastors consider attendance and membership as indicators of church success, while 92 percent focus on the depth of engagement and commitment of attendees.
In 2015, more than half of pastors felt their skills and gifts matched their roles, but now only 38 percent believe their tasks closely align with their giftedness.
Only 28 percent of pastors under 45 often felt energized by their jobs, compared to 56 percent of older pastors. Moreover, only 49 percent of younger pastors felt supported by their communities, compared to 59 percent of older pastors. Nevertheless, 51 percent of younger pastors expressed a desire to become better leaders, trailing older pastors by only 2 percentage points.
According to Barna's 2017 findings, only 13 percent of Protestant senior pastors are 40 years old or younger, with the average pastor being 52 years old. This result suggests that the number of young individuals entering the pastorate is not sufficient to compensate for those aging out of the ministry.
Barna and Gloo plan to continue providing monthly findings from this research, which is based on several studies. These include 523 online interviews with Protestant senior pastors conducted between August 28 and September 18, 2023, and 584 online interviews with Protestant senior pastors from September 6-16, 2022.
