Why Are People Leaving the Church? The Burnout Nobody Is Talking About

You used to love serving at your church. You signed up for everything. You showed up early and stayed late. You meant every bit of it. And then somewhere along the way the joy left. It became obligation. You started dreading Sunday. And eventually you just stopped showing up. Not because your faith died. Because you did.Church burnout is real. It is widespread. And the church is largely silent about it. In part one of this two part series Sunday to Society digs into how bad it actually is, why it keeps happening, and what role the church itself plays in burning out the very people it depends on.SOURCES & FURTHER READINGHere's What's Happening 24% of pastors considered leaving ministry in 2025 — down from 42% in 2022 — Barna via WORLD Magazine — https://wng.org/roundups/pastors-at-risk-1771886894 67% of pastors believe they must be available around the clock — Lifeway Research — https://research.lifeway.com/2025/07/15/debunking-the-myths-ministry-burnout-and-leaving-the-ministry/ Volunteer burnout — the slow unraveling — ACS Technologies — https://www.acstechnologies.com/church-growth/church-volunteer-burnout-is-real-heres-how-to-stop-it-before-it-starts/How Did We Get Here? Spiritual burnout is the number one cause of church volunteer burnout — ChurchTrac — https://www.churchtrac.com/articles/church-volunteers-burnout The over-committed church calendar — Faith+Lead — https://faithlead.org/blog/burnout-among-church-volunteers/ Not sure you're allowed to say you're exhausted — Premier Christianity — https://www.premierchristianity.com/my-church-needs-volunteers-but-burnout-is-real-and-i-wont-make-the-same-mistake-again/18012.articleSunday to Society with Riley Reno From the pew to the public square — every week. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTubeHave thoughts on this episode? Drop them in the comments.