When Jackson Carroll began “Pulpit & Pew,” his large research project on pastoral leadership, he considered pastors a “troubled profession,” and braced himself for what his investigation might reveal. But five years of study, including a major national telephone survey and 23 focus groups across the country, convinced Carroll his gloomy forecast didn’t stand up.

Many church members might think the life of the pastor is spent preparing for that one-hour Sunday worship. A survey of Roman Catholic and Protestant pastors shows they do a lot more.