Catholic youth and young adult pastoral leaders are juggling more responsibilities and facing new challenges as they accompany young people in the evolving Church ministry, according to research from Ministry Training Source (MTS).
The study found that younger generations of ministry leaders are serving in increasingly complex roles and often balancing multiple ministries. They are also facing concerns about pay, role clarity, and long-term sustainability.
Despite the challenges, most continue to report that the ministry brings them joy.
Of the leaders MTS examined in the 2024 research study, 87% said their ministry “often” or “always” brings them joy, 80% said the ministry they do is “always” or “often” effective, and 65% said they “always” or “often” have community support and networking available.
The research was conducted by Charlotte McCorquodale, the president of MTS, a nonprofit that serves pastoral ministry organizations in the Catholic Church.
The group’s latest report, “Illuminating Trends: A Study of Pastoral Leaders Serving Catholic Youth and Young Adults 2000-2025,” synthesizes findings from five national studies. It includes interviews and surveys from a 2022-2023 qualitative study of 127 ministry leaders and a 2024 survey of 757 current ministry leaders and 49 former leaders.
In the report, the findings are also compared with previous studies conducted in 2000, 2008, and 2016.
‘Pressure points’ of pastoral leaders serving young Catholics
The research names three “pressure points” of pastoral ministers serving youth and young adults.
According to McCorquodale, these pressure points accumulate from the workload the leaders have and the challenges they face. The hope is that communities will use the research to analyze their ministries, pinpoint their own pressure points, and then improve them.
McCorquodale labeled the first point “More, More, More,” which was findings that demonstrate how leaders are doing more, explaining more, and carrying more with fewer volunteers and youth and young adults to engage.
When examining the overload of more work, the report found that today, ministers' roles include recruiting volunteers, sacramental preparation, running youth programs, hosting young adult gatherings, and aiding young people in crisis — all while trying to balance a personal life.
McCorquodale said the expanding scope of the position became clear during the research process.
“Identifying who this person is, who they serve, how they serve, and what their titles are … became a real challenge," McCorquodale told EWTN News. "A lot of people are doing multiple ministries."
“We asked: ‘What are the issues? What are the challenges that young people are facing right now that are coming into your ministry experience?’” she said.
In many parishes, youth and young adult ministers have become the Churchʼs primary source for young Catholics and “sometimes they are the only frontline leader that the Church has for ministry,” she said.
“I think their roles have expanded as the Churchʼs resources have shrunk in different places,” she said.
The second pressure point, “Shifting Realities,” comes from ministry changes. Leaders are responding to cultural changes and challenges, causing a call for innovation in the ministry.
“I think as culture has gotten more extreme, as our lives have experienced more challenges, that is part of the burden or the pressure that leaders are carrying in a lot of different fronts,” McCorquodale said.
Lastly, the pressure point McCorquodale calls “Testing Fit,” was findings that showed younger leaders are expecting more than ministers generations ago. They are weighing the time, pay, and work-life balance as they discern whether to stay or leave the ministry.
Other growing concerns
The report found that almost a quarter of the leaders reported that a lack of training has a significant impact on their job.
Since 2016, the share who said it is “not significant” has dropped by 10%, indicating a growing need for training and support.
Recruiting adult volunteers has also become “a major issue,” according to the report. “Finding adult leaders” was labeled as some level of a sufficient issue for most ministers, with only 6% saying it is “not significant at all.”
“Finding youth and young adults to participate” was also cited as some level of a concern among respondents (89%). Of the leaders, 62% reported they find it “significantly” or “very significantly" challenging to engage with youth.
Nearly all respondents (79%) said an “insufficient budget” for youth and young adults ministries is some level of a sufficient issue, with 20% detailing it is a “very significant” issue for them.
Many also cited personal challenges that come with the leadership role.
Nearly all ministry leaders said time demands are a sufficient burden, with only 12% reporting it is “not significant."
Many also said role ambiguity is an issue. Nearly 3 in 4 (72.5%) said they must “justify or explain their role at least sometimes,” including 32.5% who do so “often” or “almost all the time.”
The report noted that this pattern points to "ongoing issues of role clarity and recognition and may be a red flag for ministry identity, onboarding, and integration within parish or diocesan structures.”
Similarly, diocesan support is also perceived as inconsistent with only 30% reporting their diocese offers effective support “almost all the time” or “all the time.”
Concerns by generation
The study found notable differences between generations of ministry leaders. The report found that, overall, younger leaders have greater concerns about ministry demands than older generations.
In 2024, 17% of respondents were Baby Boomers, ages 60 and older; 30% were Generation X, ages 44 to 59; 41% were millennials, ages 28 to 43; and 12% were Generation Z, ages 21 to 27.
Almost all of Generation Z respondents (70%) said it is true "often" or "all the time” that ministry with youth and young adults needs to be “reinvented.”
The group showed the shortest expected tenure, with 72% anticipating they will remain in youth ministry for five years or less.
Among Generation Z respondents, the most common reasons for leaving were poor work-life balance (48%), inadequate pay (47%), and time demands (36%).
Millennials also showed signs of declining long-term commitment. While 57% expect to stay in the role for more than five years, the report noted their intentions have shifted from long-term careers toward mid-range.
Of millennials, 32% reported they expect to be in the position for more than 10 years, which is down 8% from the 2016 research.
Millennials cited inadequate pay and benefits (37%), time demands (29%), desire for greater work-life balance or family life (26%), and lack of support from pastors or supervisors (23%) as their primary reasons for leaving.
In contrast, 41% of Generation X and 75% of Baby Boomer respondents identified retirement as their primary reason for stepping away.
A much smaller number of Generation X ministers labels time required (24%) and inadequate pay and benefits (21%) as reasons for leaving the ministry, compared with younger generations.
Next steps
In order to address the pressure points that the research examines, McCorquodale offered three actions to combat them.
The report suggests communities “address the leadership gap, reimagine formation and effectiveness, and create leadership role clarity and sustainability.”
To help leaders in dioceses, parishes, and ministry teams, MTS created a resource package that includes the research and a conversation series that walks groups through the data and discusses what burdens leaders are experiencing.
“I want this to be just like how stained glass reflects sun and clouds,” McCorquodale said. “I want it to be a way for people to look through this research … and say: ‘Does this fit in our experience or does it not? What does fit? What are the pressure points?’”
Communities should use it as “a lens to examine the pressure points that theyʼre experiencing in youth and young adult ministry leadership,” McCorquodale said.
“There isnʼt a one size fits all. Thatʼs why conversation is central to change.”
“We have [start] to talk about these things that are important, and not just with the pastor and the ministry leader but with a group of people that will help ground that conversation for the future of the community, parish, diocese, movement, organization,” she said.
