The Empty Pulpit Problem

The U.S. isn't just running out of pastors, it is losing one of its most local forms of leadership.

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Across the country, churches are struggling to replace an aging clergy workforce. Seminaries are shrinking, with Master of Divinity enrollment down roughly 14 percent since 2020. Congregations are closing slightly faster than they open—about 4,000 closures against 3,800 new churches in 2024. And fewer people are showing up in the first place, with regular attendance down to 30 percent, from 42 percent two decades ago.