A majority of employees working in Christian-led organizations report being engaged in their work, according to the 2026 edition of the State of the Christian Workplace report, which surveyed more than 40,000 staff members across hundreds of ministries, churches and faith-based institutions.
The report, released by Best Christian Workplaces, found that 61 percent of employees in Christian-led workplaces reported being engaged in their work in 2025, the highest level recorded in 15 years of comparable data collected by the organization.
Researchers said the findings were based on feedback from 40,137 employees working in 441 Christian organizations, representing sectors including churches, missions agencies, rescue missions, family services, Christian schools, higher education institutions, businesses and other nonprofits.
The report describes employee engagement as a measure of workplace health that reflects employees’ commitment to an organization’s mission and their willingness to invest energy and effort in their work.
According to the study, engagement levels in Christian-led organizations are nearly double those found in the broader U.S. workforce, although the report did not specify the exact national comparison figure.
“Engaged employees bring energy, enthusiasm, commitment and passion that directly fuel mission impact,” said Jay Bransford, president and CEO of Best Christian Workplaces.
Bransford said the survey invited employees to provide anonymous feedback about their workplace culture, leadership and organizational practices. Researchers then analyzed the responses to identify patterns in engagement and workplace health across different types of ministries and institutions.
The organization said its engagement survey has been used for more than two decades to assess workplace culture in Christian organizations and now includes a large data set drawn from thousands of employees in ministries around the world.
The report also notes that organizations that regularly measure employee engagement over time tend to see improvement in workplace health and staff engagement levels.
According to the study, engaged employees are associated with higher organizational productivity. Best Christian Workplaces research estimates that engaged teams can produce up to a 33 percent increase in productivity compared with less engaged workplaces.
Researchers said the report identifies factors that contribute to employee engagement as well as barriers that can weaken workplace culture, offering insights for leaders seeking to improve staff morale and organizational effectiveness.
Best Christian Workplaces said the 2026 report aims to help Christian leaders better understand the experiences of employees working in faith-based environments and the organizational practices that contribute to stronger workplace engagement.
