According to a recent Gallup poll, public trust for pastors has dropped to an all-time low. The survey found that only 30% of Americans rate clergy as highly honest and ethical. This continues a downward trend. The findings, which were released last week measured 23 professions. Pastors took 10th position overall behind auto mechanics (33%), and judges (28%), but above bankers (23%) and nursing home operators (21%).
The survey was conducted from Dec. 2-18, 2024. It found that 20% of Americans rate clergy’s honesty and ethics as low or very low. 42% see pastors as having average standards. Only 7% had no opinion on the matter. These figures align with a broader trend where many professions are perceived to be less trustworthy over time. The data has been compiled every year after 1999.
According to Gallup, “The proportion saying the clergy have high or very high ethics is down from an average 56% in 2000-2009 to 30% today.” Lifeway Research responded to Gallup’s findings. They say that pastors “still rate among the top half of professions included.” However clergy remain below nurses (79%), grade-school teachers (61%), military officers (59%), pharmacists (57%), and medical doctors (53%).
Taken as a group, all the professions measured hovered at or above 40% during the early 2000s. By the 2010s it had dropped to 35% and it has stood at 30% for the past two years, matching the trust levels for pastors. According to Gallup, 21 of the 22 professions measured over the last 3 years have declined in public esteem. The only exception is state officeholders with a 2-point increase in that period.
Lifeway stated “Previously, a broad majority of the U.S. held pastors in the highest regard.” in 1985, 67% of Americans considered pastors highly honest and ethical. The figure rebounded strongly to 64% in 2001 due to a wave of public support following the September 11 attacks. Much of the decline in trust is due to the highly publicized sex abuse investigations by The Boston Globe in 2002.
2002 and 2018 were points in time that mirrored negative developments in the Catholic Church and other denominations. Lifeway pointed to “additional sex abuse reports in other denominations and Christian groups” as contributing factors. Gallup also thinks American’s changing religious affiliations and decreased churchgoing habits could be contributing to the decline.
Lifeway says the “growing proportion of nonreligious adults express lower trust than religious adults,” influences overall ratings. Changing trends in religiosity are reflected in how pastors fare among demographic segments. Republicans rate clergy much higher than other political groups: Republicans measure at 46%, while Independents do at 24% and Democrats at 25%.
White Americans are 17% more likely to view pastors favorably as are older demographics. Income is another relevant factor. According to Lifeway, of those with an annual household income of $50,000 or less, only 27% hold positive opinions of pastors. People who make more than $100,000 rate pastors at 40% favorability. Respondents with a college degree rate clergy more highly, at 40%, compared with 20% among those with only a high school diploma. Over time, Americans have consistently rated lobbyists, members of Congress, and TV reporters as untrustworthy. Gallup rates all these groups as receiving ratings below 15%. Advertising practitioners (8%) and car salesmen (7%) remain near the bottom of the scale.