Landon Schnabel is an associate professor of sociology at Cornell University. Their research examines religion, gender, sexuality, and social change. They were a minister before becoming a sociologist.

Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash

What Makes Ministers Want to Stay? New Research Points to the Power of Congregational Care

When we think about why clergy might leave their positions, we often focus on the obvious challenges: long hours, modest pay, or theological disagreements. But new research I conducted, forthcoming in the Review of Religious Research, reveals a clear and perhaps surprising finding—the single most important factor in whether ministers stay or go isn’t about…