New Study Reveals How Christian Pastors Perceive Themselves

A new Barna study surveyed pastors about both their self-confidence and the challenges they face in one of society's most demanding professions. Most were found to be supremely confident in their abilities to teach, but struggling with personal relationships.

|TOP|The director of the study, David Kinnaman, signified, "It is tempting for some pastors to try to emulate the most captivating and high-profile pastors. But God uses all types of people to do His work, and this research underscores the diversity of personalities, perspectives and life circumstances among pastors these days."

One of the research findings showed that although pastors serve as spiritual leaders, a majority of pastors (61 percent) admitted that they "have few close friends." Family problems were also measured, with one in every five saying they are currently "dealing with a very difficult family situation." Additionally, one-sixth of them feel under-appreciated.

While the pastors stand in the pulpit and preach in front of tens to hundreds or even thousands of people every week, many were revealed as shy and introverted.

According to the study, 24 percent of America's senior pastors described themselves as introverts. The survey noted similar proportions among the adult population where 25 percent described themselves the same way. Introverted leaders were also linked to feeling under-appreciated in ministry and more apt to feel relationally isolated. Among people groups that said they were shy were non-white pastors, mainline leaders, those in the Northeast and leaders in their twenties and thirties.

Despite shy personalities, most pastors (98 percent) expressed the greatest degree of confidence in their capability as an "effective Bible teacher.”

More than nine out of every 10 pastors were found to feel that they are an "effective leader" and a similar proportion believe they are "driven by a clear sense of vision," the study stated. Also, more than eight out of 10 claim to be an "effective disciple maker” and seven out of 10 said they are "deeply involved in the community."

|AD|"Most pastors say they are driven by a clear vision, but very few pastors are able to articulate a firm, compelling vision statement for their church," Kinnaman noted.

Risk-taking among pastors was also found as a common trait. Most consider themselves as "risk-takers" but the impulse declines after someone has been pastoring for 20 or more years.

Age was also shown to influence self-perceptions. Boomer leaders (aged 41-59) were most likely to say they have few close friends but least likely to feel under-appreciated. Pastors aged 60 and older were the most likely to feel inadequately recognised for their efforts. Young pastors (aged 22-40) were more introverted, most likely to be risk-takers and least likely to feel relationally isolated.

The study further found large gaps in self-perceptions between black and white pastors. Black pastors were more than three times more likely to describe their church as charismatic of Pentecostal and as theologically liberal. White leaders were less likely to describe themselves as effective disciple-makers, risk-takers, or being deeply involved in the community. Also, black pastors were more likely than white pastors to describe themselves as introverted and significantly more likely to feel under-appreciated.

"Many pastors talk about their church’s deep engagement in the community, but most church programs are focused on the congregation, not people outside the walls of the church," stated Kinnaman.

"The vast majority of pastors describe their church as theologically conservative and effective at disciple-making, but a minority of churchgoers has developed a biblical worldview. There are other examples of the conflict between pastoral self-perceptions and the condition of their congregations, but the bottom line is that pastors need to find the tools and methods to evaluate themselves and their ministries as candidly and accurately as possible."

Kinnaman suggested such tools as personality profiles, ministry assessments, professional coaching, organisational consultant and other diagnostics.

"There is also a spiritual precedent: in Romans 12:3, Paul reminds people to ‘be honest in your evaluation of yourselves.’ Objective, frank feedback from others helps shape people and churches to be most effective for their role in the Body of Christ," he added.

The research director made note of the difficult role of pastoring. "It (the study) should remind churchgoers to express gratitude to the men and women who serve. As simple as it sounds, keep in mind that pastors are normal people, too – with hopes, dreams, families, challenges, insecurities, and idiosyncrasies. The job of the churchgoer is not to sit-back and watch the super-saints serve everyone else. It is to step up and – arm-in-arm with pastors – do the work of enhancing people’s lives for God’s glory."

The survey was conducted in the USA among a nationally representative sample of 627 senior pastors of Protestant churches in November and December 2005.





Audrey Barrick
Christian Today Correspondent