Pastor Shortage

“Baby Boomer pastors are dying and retiring. Younger pastors are not replacing them. The numbers of pastors in Gen X, the Millennials, and, especially, in Gen Z are dramatically lower.” - CPost

“the old pipeline isn’t providing enough pastors to fill the empty pulpits. ‘We’re not seeing young men go into undergraduate Bible training. Very few are populating the ministerial classes in any college I know. So where do we find the guys?’” - GARBC

“Ministerial enrollment generally declined in recent decades and then declined precipitously in recent years. Numerous Bible colleges and seminaries have struggled to remain open, while others have closed” - P&D

“As of 2022, only 16 percent of Protestant senior pastors are 40 years old or younger, and the average age among pastors is 52. As a generation of clergy ages and prepares to step down, it is not clear that churches are prepared for the transition.” - Barna

“Pastors are getting older, and this trend will likely continue….The future can be bright with bi-vocational and co-vocational pastors.” - CPost

“The graying of America’s pastors isn’t a new phenomenon, but it has become more pronounced. In 2022, just 16 percent of Protestant senior pastors were 40 years old or younger.” - C.Today

“…it makes sense to direct financial efforts to more than improving facilities or maintaining the general student population of our Christian schools. Increased assistance must be provided for students studying for ministry” - P&D

“Though there isn’t an official national registry for clergy in America, an October study from the Barna Group found that 38 percent of pastors were at least considering leaving … concern is even higher among Millennial pastors, roughly 50 percent of whom were considering quitting.” - Relevant