Adventist Pastors Today in the U.S.A. From Faith Communities Today
Source of Data A random sample of 309 local pastors in the United States of America. This is the Adventist segment of a much larger national survey that includes all religions with more than 500 congregations across the country. At the 95 th percentile of reliability, the allowance for sampling error is seven percentage points, plus or minus.
The FACT series of surveys is directed by an interfaith coalition, the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership (CCSP) based at the Hartford Institute of Religion Research. The Adventist participants work under the auspices of the NAD Office of the President, Fred Kinsey, assistant to the president. Monte Sahlin, key analyst Roger Dudley, research director Paul Richardson, dissemination director
Pastoral Staffing Most Adventist congregations have one pastor assigned to them. Only 7% have two or more pastors on staff. More than half that many (4%) are without a pastor at any given time. Pastoral No pastor Staff 4% 7% One pastor 89%
Pastoral Staffing The number of local churches with two or more pastors is slowly increasing. It has gone from 5% to 7% over the past five years, an increase of nearly half 10 9 8 7 6 5 3 again as many. One Pastor Pastoral Team No Pastor 2000 2005
Pastoral Staffing Interfaith data not yet available. 10 9 8 7 6 5 3 One Pastor Pastoral Team No Pastor Adventists All faiths
Type of Pastor One in five local churches in the U.S. has a nontraditional pastor in that he or she is not a full-time denominational employee. Some conferences are intentionally increasing the numbers of bivocational and volunteer pastors. Bivocational 14% Part-time retiree 7% Full-time worker 79%
Type of Pastor There has been a significant increase in the number of nontraditional pastors in Adventist churches in the U.S. over the past five years. This has become a major tool for conferences to save money. 10 9 8 7 6 5 3 Full-time Worker Bivocational 2000 2005 Part-time Retiree
Type of Pastor Interfaith data not yet available. 9 8 7 6 5 3 Full-time worker Bivocational Part-time retiree Adventists All faiths
Part-time Church Staff Three in five local churches in the U.S. have no part-time staff. Another third have only one or two part-time employees, most often a janitor and/or a stipend for the church treasurer or office secretary. One 28% Two 7% Three plus 5% None 6
Part-time Church Staff There has been an increase in part-time employees in local churches over the past five years. Churches with three or more parttime staff are more likely to have hired program staff such as a Bible worker, youth pastor or community services director. 8 7 6 5 3 None One Two Three or more 2000 2005
Part-time Church Staff Interfaith data not yet available. 8 7 6 5 3 None One Two Three or more Adventists All faiths
Pastors: Age by Generation The majority of Adventist pastors in the U.S. are from the Boomer generation. The Gen X and Millennial pastors (those under 40) have a smaller piece of the pie than do those from the oldest generation. Gen X 13% Millennial 5% Baby Boomers 59% Over 60 23%
Pastors: Age by Generation Percent of pastors in the three generations in the middle is largely unchanged in the past five years. Millennials are beginning to enter the workforce and the WW II generation has disappeared. 7 6 5 3 Millennial Gen X Baby Boom Swing 2000 2005 WW II
Pastors: Age by Generation Interfaith data not yet available. 7 6 5 3 Millennials Gen X Baby Boom Swing WW II Adventists All faiths
Pastors by Gender Adventist pastors in the U.S. are still overwhelmingly men despite the increasing numbers of women attending seminary and three decades of debate, policy changes, etc. Men 98% Women 2%
Pastors by Gender It is a tiny increment, but the number of women serving as solo or senior pastors in the Adventist Church in the U.S. has doubled in the past five years. This does not include women who are chaplains, associate pastors, or religion professors. 1 10 8 6 Men 2000 2005 Women
Pastors by Gender Interfaith data not yet available. 1 10 8 6 Men Adventists Women All faiths
Pastors by Ethnicity This survey is skewed in terms of a stronger response from white pastors. We know from conference employment data that this is not an entirely accurate profile of the ethnicity of Adventist pastors in the U.S. Multiethnic 1% White 79% Asian 3% Black Hispanic 7%
Pastors by Ethnicity FACT 2000 had a stronger response from Hispanic pastors than. The last category was other in the 2000 survey, not multiethnic as in the 2005 survey. 9 8 7 6 5 3 Asian Black Hispanic White Multiethnic 2000 2005
Pastors by Ethnicity Interfaith data not yet available. 9 8 7 6 5 3 Asian Black Hispanic White Multiethnic Adventists All faiths
Pastors by Education The majority of Adventist pastors in the U.S. have at least a Master s degree as required by the NAD Working Policy, but one in eight have only a secondary diploma. Bachelor's 28% No degree 13% Doctorate 14% Master's 45%
Pastors by Education The percentage of Adventist pastors with graduate degrees has increased significantly in the last five years. This is partly due to the success of the DMin and MAMin programs at Andrews University. 5 45% 35% 3 25% 15% 5% Doctorate Master's Bachelor's No degree 2000 2005
Pastors by Education Interfaith data not yet available. 5 45% 35% 3 25% 15% 5% Doctorate Master's Bachelor's No degree Adventists All faiths
Current Pastor s Tenure Three out of four Adventist pastors have served in their present churches for five years or less. One in four are in their first year in a new congregation or district. 6-10 Years 13% 10+ Years 2-5 Years 53% One Year 24%
Current Pastor s Tenure FACT 2000 data is not comparable. The questions were structured differently. 1 10 8 6 2000 2005
Current Pastor s Tenure Interfaith data not yet available. 6 5 3 One Year 2-5 Years 6-10 Years 10+ Years Adventists All faiths
Number of Pastors in the Last Ten Years Three out of four Adventist pastors have been serving two to five years in a district or congregation. Yet research has shown that it is in the fifth year that a pastor becomes most effective. Five or more 16% One Two to four 74%
Number of Pastors in the Last Ten Years FACT 2000 data is not comparable. The questions were structured differently. 8 7 6 5 3 One Two to four Five or more 2000 2005
Number of Pastors in the Last Ten Years Interfaith data not yet available. 6 5 3 One Two to Four Five or more Adventists All faiths
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