More than half of Protestant pastors in the United States say they need help with their physical and mental health, while the burnout-relief measures they believe would work best remain largely out of reach, according to new research from Barna Group.
The findings, published July 6 from a survey of 507 U.S. Protestant senior pastors conducted in early 2026, come as pastoral exhaustion has eased and confidence in calling has largely recovered from pandemic-era lows. Vocational satisfaction, however, has not followed. The share of pastors who describe themselves as "very satisfied" with their vocation has dropped 20 percentage points since 2015, from 72 percent to 52 percent.
When asked which area of their lives needed the most support, 52 percent of pastors named mental and physical health—well ahead of close relationships (41 percent) and financial stability (36 percent). Spiritual connection came in at 30 percent.
Age and gender shape those priorities. Pastors under 45 flag health concerns at higher rates than older colleagues—62 percent versus 51 percent. Female pastors prioritize health at even higher rates, with 66 percent naming it a top need compared to 49 percent of male pastors. Men, meanwhile, are somewhat more likely to identify close relationships as a pressing concern.
On the question of what would actually help, pastors were asked to rate a set of burnout-relief actions by both helpfulness and difficulty. Three responses stood out as high on both dimensions: extended rest such as a sabbatical, delegating responsibilities to staff or other leaders, and restructuring one's role to better match personal gifts and limits. Pastors say these measures would make the most difference. They also describe them as the hardest to take.
Sabbaticals require congregational backing and staffing cover. Delegation depends on having people to delegate to. Role restructuring requires a leadership team or board willing to raise and sit with uncomfortable questions. None of these can be accomplished unilaterally.
"There's a difference between recovering from burnout and actually resolving it," said Daniel Copeland, Barna's vice president of research. "Consistent rest, boundaries, and personal spiritual practices build the weekly rhythms that keep a pastor healthy. But the deeper question—whether your role is genuinely an expression of your gifts and strengths—requires a different kind of time and attention altogether."
Several relief measures that pastors find more accessible also registered as meaningful: consistent personal spiritual practices, clearer expectations around role and schedule, short breaks such as a long weekend, and honest conversations with close friends or family. These ranked as helpful and relatively achievable.
At the bottom of the helpfulness rankings, the Barna research found, are resources and curricula specifically designed for burned-out pastors—despite their wide availability. The gap between what is offered and what pastors say would help is substantial.
Support structures within ministry show a similar unevenness. Eighty percent of pastors say they rely on a spouse as their primary personal support, and 65 percent turn to a fellow pastor or ministry leader. Forty-two percent name a close friend outside the church. Mentors or spiritual directors are cited by 30 percent, and only 18 percent say they rely on a counselor or therapist.
Female pastors draw on a wider range of support: they are more likely than male pastors to name friends outside the congregation (51 percent vs. 38 percent), family members (52 percent vs. 32 percent), mentors (36 percent vs. 28 percent), and therapists (29 percent vs. 14 percent).
Copeland said the data points to a gap between the institutional support structures churches typically offer and the conditions pastors say they actually need. "Pastors deserve the time to step back and ask honestly whether their role is an expression of their actual gifts," he said. "If there's any vocation we want liberated from the mundane, it's this one."
The research was conducted by Barna Group as part of its State of the Church initiative, produced in partnership with Gloo.
