A survey shows that half of Germans think pastoral care is the most important job of a Christian church. Only 24% say telling people about Jesus is central.
A church building in Bad Reichenhall, Germany. / [link]Bryan Dijkhuizen[/link], Unsplash, CC0.
Pastoral care is seen as the most important task of Christian churches, according to a recent survey in Germany.
The news agency Idea commissioned the study from INSA-Consulere, which surveyed more than 2,000 people.
Fifty-two per cent of respondents answered ‘pastoral care’ when asked what the most important task of a Christian church is.
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Close behind, in second place, respondents answered ‘social assistance’ (51%). Both answers stand out clearly and show the priority given to people's well-being.
In third place, respondents chose offering people a moral compass (29%), telling people about Jesus (24%), praising God (19%) or influencing politics (8%).
The survey allowed respondents to choose several options. One in ten responded that they did not know.
Among those who considered the pastoral care work of churches to be essential, women and respondents in western Germany stood out.
It is particularly interesting to note that this work of spiritual accompaniment is valued more highly by older respondents. While 39% of respondents aged 18 to 29 mention it, the percentage rises to 64% among those over 70.
Members of the national Protestant Church (62%) and the Roman Catholic Church (61%) rate pastoral care higher than those belonging to independent evangelical churches (49%). The latter, the evangelicals, are the ones who most often consider talking to people about Jesus to be the most important task of the church (46%).
According to their political preference, only those who voted for the Social Democrats consider social care (or social justice) to be the most important contribution of churches (58%). The rest of the respondents, especially those who vote for the Greens or the Christian Democratic Party, prioritise pastoral care.
The survey was conducted between the end of January and the beginning of February 2026.
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