Download the 2026 Clergy Age Trends Report.
Highlights of the 2026 Report
Ages of Elders Rebalancing Except for Young Elders
Notice in the chart below the change between 2000 and 2015 when the percentage of elders between 35 and 54 dropped from 65 percent in 2000 to 38 percent in 2015, with the percentage of elders between 55 and 72 increasing from 30 percent in 2000 to 55 percent in 2015. This major adjustment in the elder makeup reflected the aging of the historically large baby boom generation. In 2000, the youngest boomer was 36, and the oldest was 54. By 2015, the youngest boomer was 51, and the oldest was 69. By 2026, there is a rebalancing of the middle and older age cohorts. In 2026, elders between 35 and 54 are relatively close to that age group’s presence in the total population between 25 and 72. Older elders are still disproportionately represented compared to the same general population pool. Young elders below the age of 35 continue to be represented well below the presence of their age group among the general population ages 25 to 72.
Elder Median Age and Gender Makeup Relatively Stable
The median age of elders (half older, half younger) remains at 55 in 2026. Annual conferences with the lowest median ages are Alabama-West Florida and North Carolina (50); Dakotas, Kentucky, North Alabama, and Texas (51). Those with the highest median ages are Oklahoma Indian Missionary (61), Peninsula Delaware (60), and New York (59). The gender makeup among elders 35 and older has remained relatively stable at around 60 percent male and 40 percent female. Elders younger than 35 include a higher percentage of women, with the highest percentage recorded in 2026 at 45 percent. The increased percentage in the last couple of years has not come from an increase in young female elders but rather the decreases of young women elders has been smaller than the decrease in male young elders.
Deacons Are Younger and An Increasing Portion of Clergy
The number of deacons and young deacons remained about the same in 2026. The age makeup of deacons is much more representative of the general population than the age makeup of elders or local pastors. Deacons are more proportionately representative relative to elders than was previously the case. In 2005, there was one deacon for every 21 elders. In 2026, there is one deacon for every 10 elders. Not all deacons have their pensions through Wespath, in which case they are not in the data available. Conferences with the most deacons are Horizon Texas (64), Western North Carolina (55), and North Georgia (49).
There Are Fewer Local Pastors
Between 2000 and 2026 there was a dramatic decline in local pastors. In 2026, there are 48 percent fewer local pastors and 65 percent fewer under-35 local pastors. However, the ratio of elders to local pastors remains about the same, with about two elders per local pastor. Men account for two-thirds of young local pastors, but there are more women with each older age cohort until the makeup of men and women is about even in the 55-72 age group. Since conference policies vary on including part-time local pastors in pension plans, some local pastors do not have pension accounts at Wespath, in which case they are not in the data available. Conferences with the most local pastors are Virginia (180), Missouri (141), and Great Plains (137).
Download the 2026 Clergy Age Trends Report.
Previous Clergy Age Trends Reports
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