Global Adventist Pastors’ Survey

Insights from Adventist Pastors from Around the World

This research surveyed Seventh-day Adventist Pastors working around the world. The survey was available in 27 languages and 12,760 Adventist pastors participated, representing about 44% of the pastors working in the 13 Divisions of the SDA Church. The survey was conducted in 2023 and 2024.

Key insights:

Among the many research findings from the study were numerous positive reports from pastors regarding their perceptions of their work.  For example:

• 93% of pastors said that they felt they were in the “place that God has called me to”.
• 94% of pastors rated it very likely (4 or 5 on a five-point scale) that they would be a committed Seventh-day Adventist church-member for the rest of their lives.

Interestingly, 23% reported that they work 60 hours per week or more (8% more than 80 hours per week); and more than 20% of the pastors in the East Central Africa Division, the Inter-American Division, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, Southern Asia-Pacific Division and West-Central Africa Division reported that they work more than 70 hours per week.

Many church pastors are experiencing some negative aspects in their work as well.  For example:

• More than 15% of all respondents strongly agreed that “I feel run down and drained of physical or emotional energy”, and a further 29% agreed more than disagreed.
• Roughly 10% of all respondents strongly agreed that “Sometimes I feel that I would like to leave pastoral ministry,” and an additional 18% agreed more than disagreed with this item. This amounts to one in four pastors having contemplated leaving the ministry at some point.

Impact and outcomes:

The findings and recommendations from this study were reported to the leadership of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and used as important input in their strategic planning.  Key results were shared with the leadership of the Divisions of the worldwide church.

Videos:

Researchers:

Team leader:

Robert K. McIver, PhD, Director of the Scripture, Spirituality and Society Research Centre at Avondale University, and professor at Avondale Seminary.

Team members:

Wendy A. Jackson, MBChB, FRACP, PhD, Head of Seminary, Avondale University.

Erika F. Puni, PhD, Lecturer Avondale Seminary, Avondale University.

Brendan Pratt, PhD, Ministerial Director, Australian Union Conference.

Stephen J. Currow, DMin, Principal, Newbold College.

Neil R. Thompson, MA, Lecturer, Avondale University

Partners/Collaborators:

Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, including Dr David Trim, Dr Galina Steele and Dr Safary Wa-Mbaleka.

From the 13 Divisions and one unattached union: Petr Činčala and Michael Campbell (North American Division), Rodrigo Romaneli (South American Division), Rudi Situmorang (Southern Asia-Pacific Division), Musa Mitekaro (East-Central Africa Division), Ivan Velgosha (Euro-Asia Division), Barna Magyarosi and Regina Fleischmann (Inter-European Division), Josney Rodriguez and Susy Perla-Longa (Inter-American Division); Ivan Williams (North American Division); Hiroshi Yamaji (Northern Asia-Pacific Division), Passmore Mulambo (Southern-Africa Indian Ocean Division); Victor Kulakov (South Pacific Division – New Zealand Pacific Union Conference); Brendan Pratt and G Lyndelle Peterson (South Pacific Division – Australian Union Conference), Mohan Bhatti (Souther Asia Division); Robert Csizmadia and Michele Vitry (Trans European Division); Volodymyr Velechuk (Ukraine Union Conference); and Selom Kwasi Sessou (West-Central Africa Division); plus translators for each of the 27 languages used for the study.

Avondale University 

Research outputs:

Final Report:  https://www.adventistresearch.info/research-reports/research-projects-commissioned-by-general-conference-officers[look for 2023 Global Adventist Pastors’ Report]

The articles in the October 2025 edition of Ministry Magazine are all devoted to analysing various aspects of the data from the Global Adventist Pastors’ Survey, including:

McIver, R. K., Jackson, W. A., Pratt, B., Currow, S. J., Puni, E. F., & Činčala, P. (2025). What did the Global Adventist Pastors’ Survey Reveal? Ministry Magazine, 97/10, 6-10.

McIver, R. K., & Thompson, N. (2025). ‘They Don’t Preach That Anymore!’ Sermons Less Commonly Preached by Adventist Pastors. Ministry Magazine, 97/10, 16-20.

Funder(s):

Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Scripture, Spirituality and Society Research Centre, Avondale University

Fields of Research Codes: 

500401 Christian studies

500407 Religious studies not elsewhere classified

Status:

Dissemination of results

More information:

[email protected]

Sustainable Development Goals: