Episode Details

In this episode, sociologist and former pastor Todd Ferguson shares insights from his book Stuck: Why Clergy are Alienated from Their Calling, Congregation, and Career. Drawing on interviews with over 40 pastors, Todd uncovers why so many clergy feel trapped—not because they’ve lost their faith, but because of the structures of ministry itself. He names the pressures of congregational decline, bureaucracy, and the demand to “produce” faith, alongside the stigma clergy face if they consider leaving ministry. Yet his research is not without hope: Todd points toward practices of honesty, storytelling, and traditioned innovation as ways pastors and churches can reclaim authenticity and joy. This conversation offers language, perspective, and encouragement for anyone wrestling with what faithful ministry looks like today.