Trust in Pastors Falls to Historic Low (03.09.23)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS

Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week I’m joined by Kristofer Gardana, and we’re talking about the declining trust in pastors. According to a Gallup survey, fewer people would rate pastors and clergy as having a “high ethical standard and level of honesty.” Why is this the case? And what challenges – or potential opportunities – does this present for gospel preachers? We discuss these questions in the episode today.

STORY – Who’s to Blame for the Preacher Shortage in Churches of Christ? We Are

“As fewer Americans interact with pastors on a regular basis, fewer say they trust clergy overall.

“Trust in pastors fell for the third straight year and reached an all-time low. Around 1 in 3 Americans (34%) rate the honesty and ethical standards of clergy as high or very high, according to the latest Gallup survey.”

[…]

“Previously, Americans said pastors had a high or very high ethical standard and level of honesty, reaching 67% in 1985. After a decade of decline, Americans’ views of pastors rebounded through the 1990s and reached 64% in 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Since then, however, the downward trajectory has only slowed briefly amid sexual abuse scandals that were first exposed in the Roman Catholic Church and have since been revealed among other denominations and groups.

“Trust in pastors has fallen 30 points since 2001. A majority of Americans last had a high view of pastors’ honesty in 2012. In 2018, for the first time, fewer than 40% highly rated pastors’ ethical standards and honesty. After a brief rebound in 2019, fewer than 2 in 5 Americans have given pastors the highest rating in the past three years.” (Lifeway Research)