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Christianity Today, July, 2010

Go Figure

Stats on clergy jobs, faith and politics, and the abortion debate's "new normal."

Compiled by Ted Olsen | posted 7/21/2010 09:23AM

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Unemployment

1.2%: Unemployment rate among U.S. clergy.

9.9%: National unemployment rate (in April 2010).

5,000: Clergy looking for jobs in 2009.

2,000: Clergy looking for jobs in 2005.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Faith-Based

6+: Staff on the Democratic National Committee's faith outreach team in 2008.

1: Staff (part-time) today.

Source: The Washington Post

Church-State

46%: Americans who say the Supreme Court has been too hostile toward religion.

13%: Americans who say the Supreme Court has been too friendly toward it.

Source: Rasmussen Reports

Abortion

3: Consecutive Gallup polls that found more Americans calling themselves pro-life than pro-choice, leading the polling group to call it the "new normal."

50%: Americans who say that abortion is morally wrong, down from 56% in 2009.

Source: Gallup

Related Elsewhere:

See our earlier Go Figure postings from June 2010, May 2010, April 2010, March 2010, February 2010, January 2010, December 2009, November 2009, October 2009, September 2009, August 2009, July 2009, June 2009, May 2009, April 2009, March 2009, and earlier issues.

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July 2010, Vol. 54, No. 7

Comments (2)

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2-for-1 Gifts!

Cameron Light

July 25, 2010 10:23am

Preaching is a calling, not a job. Faith says that if one is called, G-d will put them in the place He has for them. Patience and growth in the meantime for preparation is called for. If one is called, consider street preaching, or preaching in homeless or recovery shelters. Certainly these need to hear the Word. Look to G-d for the place He wants each of us to be and when we get there it may not be what we had in mind but it is the most rewarding place of all to be. I will be one who prays that G-d will show each new preacher where he should go to spread the gospel.

Texan in China

July 21, 2010 7:03pm

I'm very surprised to see that the unemployment rate for clergy in the U.S. is only 1.2%. I recently talked with an older couple who've been involved in ministry for a lifetime, and they told me that new seminary graduates aren't able to find jobs. What's the story?

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