Most US pastors are happy in their work. (Photo: Unsplash)
In churches across the UK and beyond, a silent crisis is unfolding. Behind the pulpits, beneath the sermons, and beyond the public personas, many pastors are burning out—emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.
According to recent data released by the Barna Group, in collaboration with Gloo, in June 2025, a staggering 42% of Protestant pastors said they had seriously considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year—up from 29% in 2021.
The primary reasons include chronic stress, isolation, and political tensions.
Over half of pastors cited “the immense stress of the job,” while 43% admitted they feel “lonely and isolated”.
Nearly 30% shared that they’re simply not hopeful about the future of their church.
While pastors scored well on finances and vocational purpose, they ranked significantly lower than the general population in emotional and relational well-being.
Incredibly, over half of pastors don’t receive any professional support—no mentors, coaches, or counsellors—despite needing it just as much as anyone else.
The vice president of Barna commented to The Christian Post: “Pastors traditionally don’t feel comfortable for a number of different reasons to seek out counseling, to seek out mentoring. You know it needs to be OK within a Church community and the Church culture for a pastor to say, ‘you know what? I need help.’ I need some counselling. I’m struggling emotionally.
“But to be quite frank, for whatever reason, a lot of pastors don’t feel comfortable being vulnerable within a leadership context. I really think that churches need to communicate and say, ‘Hey pastor, it’s OK not to be OK.’”
Christian coaches, Simon and Ceri Harris, of Wholehearted Solutions and 5Q Europe, are among those sounding the alarm.
After three decades of working with church and charity leaders globally, the couple – who are also long-time ministers at Burlington Church in Ipswich – have observed a troubling pattern: leaders who seem outwardly successful but inwardly are unravelling.
Their new book, Wholehearted Leadership, is a timely response to this growing crisis.
Speaking to The Baptist Times, they explained: “For all the ‘success’ many live with disappointment, stress and a feeling that their personal relationships, including with themselves, are not where they want them to be.
“As we describe in the book there is a ‘dis-ease of the heart’. The pressure to keep performing, to hold it all together, was quietly eroding their joy, sense of calling and connection with self.
“Leaders juggle many hats: preacher, pastor, planner, mentor all while carrying the hopes, hurts, and struggles of the people they serve. It’s sacred work, but it often feels lonely and relentless.”
Instead of offering another productivity strategy, the book calls leaders into a deeper journey: one of emotional honesty, spiritual rest, and inner healing. They like to think of it as a roadmap toward living and leading from wholeness, not performance.
“The old model of the solo heroic leader who has all the answers is giving way to something more human and relational,” they said. “We’re seeing a shift toward authenticity, emotional intelligence, and shared leadership.”
They note that as public trust in institutions declines, leaders are under more scrutiny than ever and titles no longer carry automatic respect.
Instead, people are asking deeper and more discerning questions about their leaders — questions that go beyond charisma or competence.
“People are asking: ‘Who is this leader becoming? Are they trustworthy? Do they listen? Do they lead from integrity or image?’” they observed.
Simon and Ceri argue that these questions demand a radical rethink — not just in how we train leaders, but in what kind of leaders we are forming: “In other words: Do they lead from their whole heart?“That’s why the inner life matters. Leadership is not about outcomes. It’s about presence, posture, and how we show up.”
They want Wholehearted Leadership “to be an invitation from Jesus for leaders who are hurting, and coming to the end of themselves, to come away with Him and find rest.”
That means “rest for themselves, their future leadership and their lives”.
Their hope is that the book will help pastors “feel accompanied” and give permission for wounded leaders “to pause, to create space, and to learn how to love themselves”.
“That is what Jesus commanded, right?” they added.
As pastors burn out, a new book offers a way back to wholeness
