For a while now, Barna has been reporting on the credibility crisis America’s pastors are facing. Amid lukewarm feelings about their credibility, pastors may wonder how they can regain the trust of their communities in the current climate. Today, we'll share data from The Resilient Pastor—a newly released book from pastor, author and Barna senior fellow Dr. Glenn Packiam—to explore current perspectives on the credibility of America’s pastors as well as insights from Packiam on pastoral trustworthiness and reliability.
This article is an excerpt from Benjamin Windle's latest work, Digital Church in a Lonely World, published as the first Barna Ideas release. Barna Ideas is a series committed to exploring new models, new methods and new mindsets for the future of the Church. Windle's full work, which explores the seven ingredients necessary for church community in an increasingly digital and lonely world, is available both in Barna's online store and on Barna Access Plus.
Recent data collected from Barna’s pastor poll indicate that U.S. pastors are currently in crisis and at risk of burnout. Notably, in 2021 alone, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of pastors who are thinking about quitting ministry entirely.
Pastors and churchgoers alike believe an individual's unique gifts and talents point to God and draw people to him. So are churches adequately helping to identify, support and celebrate congregants' gifts? For a recent report titled Gifted for More, Barna explored how U.S. adults, practicing Christians and pastors view giftedness—and suggests the U.S. Church is due for a fresh framework for gifts.