Living Ministry is the Church of England's decade-long research study into the wellbeing of serving clergy, and the support needed to help them flourish.
The five-stage study, in which clergy are checked in with every two years to see how their experience of life and ministry has changed, revealed troubling insights into the struggles clergy face, their resilience, and their emotional and mental wellbeing.
Of the 500 clergy surveyed in the final wave of research:
- 41% felt demoralised
- 40% felt isolated in their ministry
- 29% to 35% showed signs of possible, mild or clinical depression
- Many felt the support provided by Church leadership was “inadequate and ineffective, because it did not address clergy’s actual needs.”
This reflects what we've heard from our applicants - that many clergy are so dedicated to caring for their communities, and the pressures of increasing attendance and parish share weigh on them so heavily, that they have little energy left to care for themselves.
Dr Liz Graveling, Senior Researcher at The Church of England, shared some of her preliminary insights at our Annual Assembly at St Mellitus College last year.
She identified four key areas that posed challenges to the wellbeing of clergy in the study: Tiredness, Isolation, Demoralisation and Financial Anxiety. 42% of those surveyed at that point were anxious about their financial situation, and the proportion finding it quite or very difficult financially had doubled to 15% since 2019.
"The challenge for the Church is to develop structures and systems that enable them to flourish in their calling, so the vocational aspect of their ministry doesn't get squeezed out by other concerns, so they can truly fulfil the ministry they were ordained for: to preach, baptise, nurture, preside, teach, bless, pray."
Dr Liz Graveling
Senior Researcher, The Church of England
"The findings of the Living Ministry study are not only concerning for the clergy facing these challenges, but also for those who are considering embarking on their ministerial journey as ordinands."
"The calling of ministry, and the joys of our vocation, are being weighed against the financial and emotional challenges that come hand-in-hand with it. I fear that this plays a big part in why the number of new clergy has fallen so significantly in recent years."
"Clergy Support Trust will continue seeking to walk alongside the thousands of clergy who reach out to us, as well as advocating for change in the Church’s care of its people."
"As part of our bold new 2026-28 Strategy, we are investing in self-service support, accessed through a new online platform. This expansion will include webinars and courses, covering a range of topics, like dealing with difficult parish relationships and mental health."
The Revd Ben Cahill-Nicholls
Chief Executive, Clergy Support Trust