Clergy in the United States continue to face increasing scrutiny and skepticism, according to Gallup’s latest Honesty and Ethics Survey, which found that only 27% of people say clergy members have high or very high levels of honesty and ethics.
In contrast, 25 years ago, that number was 64%
According to Lifeway Research:
Half of Americans rate their honesty as average, while around 1 in 5 say it’s low or very low. Specifically, 6% give pastors a very high rating for their honesty, 21% high, 48% average, 12% low, 6% very low, and 7% aren’t sure.
While the drop in trust continues for pastors, Gallup has found a rebound in Americans’ confidence in the church. In 2025, 36% of U.S. adults said they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the church or organized religion, up from a low of 31% in 2022 and 32% in 2024.
