By Aaron Earls BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Pastors don’t believe their family and job often compete for their attention. If they ever do, however, pastors say they choose home life over church life. A recent Lifeway Research study examining the rate at which evangelical and Black Protestant pastors leave the ministry also asked pastors about the relationship between their family … [Read more...]
Lifeway Research Insights Report equips churches to partner with U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches
Este artículo está disponible en español aquí. By Marissa Postell Sullivan BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The church is the church because it is made up of believers in Christ, but the exact expression of a local body of believers may vary depending on context. For decades, the Hispanic population in the U.S. has been growing exponentially, and this growth has implications for many … [Read more...]
Pastors Remain Committed to the Pulpit
By Aaron Earls BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Pastors face unique challenges in their role and often feel overwhelmed, but few decide to step away from the pulpit and pursue another career. Only around 1 in 100 pastors leave the ministry each year, according to a Lifeway Research study of evangelical and Black Protestant pastors. The percentage of pastors who leave for reasons other … [Read more...]
Americans Judge the Good Book More Positively, But Still Often by Its Cover
By Aaron Earls BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — In the past few years, Americans have grown generally more positive toward the Bible, but that doesn’t mean they’re reading it more. According to a Lifeway Research study, U.S. adults increasingly view the Bible as a book worth reading multiple times, but few have actually done so. More Americans describe the Bible as true, … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists’ membership decline continues amid other areas of growth
By Aaron Earls BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — In 2024, the Southern Baptist Convention baptized more new members than in any of the previous seven years but still saw an 18th consecutive year of overall membership decline. The 12,722,266 members of Southern Baptist congregations mark a 2% decline from 2023, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Research in … [Read more...]