PHOENIX -- Research results being released for the first time in the July/August edition of Facts & Trends magazine show that many Protestant ministers in the U.S. see significant problems within the families of clergy members, but usually not when it comes to their own family.

The study, conducted by Ellison Research (Phoenix, Ariz.) among a representative sample of 870 Protestant church ministers nationwide, asked pastors about the health of their family and the pressures associated with being the family of a minister.

The vast majority of Protestant clergy believe there is additional pressure on pastors' families. Most also feel that "Churchgoers often expect pastors' families to be 'better than' other people's families." Eighty-eight percent agree with this, including 34% who feel strongly about it. Southern Baptists and Pentecostals, particularly, feel this kind of pressure on their families.

A majority also worry that "Your role as a pastor leaves you with insufficient time for your family." Six out of ten pastors agree with this statement, although only 14% agree strongly with it. Methodists are the ones most likely to have this concern (as well as the denominational group most likely to have divorced ministers).

Overall, the average pastor put the health of his or her family unit at a 4 on a scale on 1 (extremely unhealthy) to 5 (extremely healthy). Twenty-six percent feel their family unit is extremely healthy overall, while another 54% rate the health of their family at a 4.

Experiencing divorce apparently has very little impact on how pastors feel about these issues. Divorced pastors - the vast majority of whom have remarried - have attitudes and ratings of their current family health which are very similar to those of ministers who have not gone through a divorce.

One of the most interesting - and puzzling - findings in this study is that while pastors tend to feel pretty good about the health of their own family, they have significant worries about the health of other ministers' families. While the average rating they give to their own family health is a 4, the average they give to the health of pastors' families throughout their denomination is just a 3.2.

While eight out of ten rate the health of their own family at a 4 or a 5 on the scale, just three out of ten rate the health of pastors' families in their denomination at a 4 or a 5. Methodists and Southern Baptists are among the most concerned about the health of ministers' families in their denomination.

Further, the average minister estimates that almost one out of every four pastors he or she knows is having significant problems with a child, and that one out of every five fellow pastors is having significant marriage problems.