MARRIAGE: Pastors in conservative Protestant churches are much more likely to be in their first marriage—85% of all conservative congregations. Fewer, but still a majority, of mainline Protestant pastors (62%) are also in their first marriage. Twenty percent of mainline Protestant pastors are divorced or separated, compared to 10% of Catholic priests.

Marital status differs for men and women among ordained Protestant ministers: While 71% of all men are in their first marriage, 37% of women are in theirs. Women clergy are more likely to have never married (about 12%), compared to men (1%). About one in four women clergy are divorced or separated, compared with 3% of men.

AGE: The median age of all pastors is 55. In 2001, the median age was 51....

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