Congregations are spiritual gatherings, but are they also places where people practice politics? They are, but there isn’t just one way to answer that question. Sometimes the politics happen in the pulpit. Sometimes the congregation engages in activism as a group. Sometimes individual members are engaged – both because of their congregations’ encouragement and in…
The Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program (WPLP) is a two-year, early-career, mentoring program for Indiana pastors. Because my research focuses on demographics and religious change in Indiana, I have spoken to all nine WPLP cohorts, and I routinely join their annual alumni reunion. Through these twenty years, I have learned that most pastors do not…
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…
There’s been a lot of buzz recently about the state of health and happiness among the people who lead U.S. congregations. One widely-circulated blog post expounded on the stresses and strains that led one pastor to call it quits – not just from his church, but from the profession itself. The responses to that post…
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused strain on religious organizations and their leaders. They have been challenged to keep members safe, while also contending with the politicization of the pandemic. They have had to develop or strengthen their online presence while often facing declining attendance. Resources of time, money, skill, and diplomacy have been stretched to…