Porn Addiction Among Pastors: Study Reveals Surprising Truth

Ask pastors about porn use among clergy, and they’ll tell you it’s everywhere. But new research suggests they might be wrong.

A major study by Barna Group just punched holes in what many church leaders thought they knew about porn addiction in their ranks. Working with addiction specialists at Pure Desire Ministries, researchers found something unexpected: the problem isn’t as widespread as pastors think – but it’s far more complicated.

The numbers don’t add up.

Take this head-scratcher: 86% of pastors think their colleagues are regularly viewing porn. The reality? Only about one in five actually admits to struggling with it. That’s not just a gap – it’s a canyon.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Look at the general population, and the numbers flip. A whopping 68% of non-Christians say they watch porn. Even among practicing Christians, it’s 54%. So why are pastors so convinced their peers are worse?

Among pastors under 45, porn is a different beast entirely. More than a quarter of them – 26% to be exact – say they’re fighting this battle right now. Their older colleagues? Only 16% report the same struggle. The real kicker comes when you ask who’s never faced this issue: 40% of older pastors raise their hands. Young pastors? A measly 17%.

It could be because older pastors are less likely to spend the same amount of time on social media, like Tik Tok, or binge-streaming popular shows where porn is slipped in.

Still, few are talking about it. The Baptist Messenger found that most pastors keep these struggles locked away, never breathing a word to their churches or leadership teams. They’d rather tackle anything else – burnout, pride, marriage problems, money troubles. Just not this.

And there’s another twist. Christianity Today reports that pastors are missing what’s happening in their own pews. Three out of four Christian men and nearly half of Christian women admit to watching porn. Sure, having faith seems to help – Christians watch less than others – but it’s hardly a cure. More than half still click those links, even if they do it less often than their non-Christian neighbors.

–Metro Voice