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Monday Miscellany, 2/2/26

Monday Miscellany, 2/2/26

Last updated on: February 2, 2026 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

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Monday Miscellany, 2/2/26 2026-01-28T18:48:02-05:00 Gene Veith

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The crime rate has collapsed. Pastoral burn-out is decreasing. And the rest of the world will try free trade.

The Crime Rate Has Collapsed

Crime remains a terrible problem. But 2025 data offers some good news. The crime rate is down dramatically.

According to figures released by the Council on Criminal Justice, the murder rate in 2025 dropped 21%, a figure being described as “astonishing.” That is the biggest single-year reduction on record. Murders are at the lowest level since 1900!

In the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, out of every 100,000 people, from 8 to 10 were murdered. The rate has been declining in the 2000s except for a spike during the COVID shutdown. This year that number fell to 4. Still too many, but the only years close to that low were the 1950s.

As for other crimes, carjackings are down 61%. Robberies are down 23%. Assault is down 10%. Shoplifting is down 10%.

What’s the explanation? No one can say exactly. The Trump vibe shift? Better policing, with the help of technology? The higher incarceration rate? Lower unemployment and a better economy? One possible reason being offered is that crime is a young man’s game, and America is getting older. Do you have any theories?

Pastoral Burn-Out Is Decreasing

Some more good news: Fewer pastors are burning out.

For the last five years, Barna has been surveying Protestant ministers, asking “Have you given real, serious consideration to quitting being in full-time ministry within the last year?”

In 2021, the percentage saying “yes” was 38%. In 2022, that high number went up even more, to a heart-rending 42%. In 2023, the number dropped to 33%. In 2024, it dropped some more to 31%. But last year, in 2025, the number dropped considerably to 24%.

Why were so many pastors thinking about giving up in the ministry? The highest rates, reaching over 2 out of 5 pastors, were during the COVID shutdown. That put an enormous strain on congregations and their pastors.

But the burnout had started before COVID and that was not the only factor. Says the Barna report,

Barna’s research has documented rising pressure on pastors. Early in the pandemic, pastors were forced to navigate church closures, rapid shifts in ministry models, health concerns and political division—often all at once and with limited support. Emotional exhaustion intensified during the COVID-19 years, ministry demands multiplied and leaders faced heightened conflict and polarization within their congregations.

Why the improvement?

As churches stabilize, many pastors report recalibrating expectations—gaining greater clarity around what is sustainable and where boundaries are necessary. Congregations are also rediscovering rhythms of worship and community that were disrupted for years, reducing the constant sense of emergency leadership.

It’s still sad that 24%–one out of four–pastors are considering leaving the ministry. We laypeople need to give our pastors the support they need. Barna has also researched that:

Barna’s broader research in The Relationships of Today’s Pastors, reinforces an important insight: pastors who experience stronger relational support are significantly less likely to consider leaving ministry. Retention, in other words, is not simply about personal resilience. It is shaped by culture, systems and shared responsibility within the church.

The Rest of the World Will Try Free Trade

President Trump’s threat to punish countries for opposing his designs on Greenland by raising the already high tariffs on their products has faded. But Trump’s policy of walling off America from world trade has led other countries to look for more reliable markets.

This is true especially of the European Union. According to EU figures,

The European Union and the United States have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship and the most integrated economic relationship in the world.

Together, they represent almost 30% of global trade in goods and services and 43% of global GDP.

In 2024, transatlantic trade in goods and services reached over €1.68 trillion [$1,94 trillion]. Both the EU and US are top trading partners in goods for each other.

According to U.S. government figures, 18% of American exports go to the EU, amounting to some $664.5 billion in goods and services.

Now, though, the EU has made what it is calling “the mother of all deals”: a free trade agreement with India, the largest nation in the world by population, with 1.45 billion people. Said EU president Ursula von der Leyen, the agreement “created a free trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the deal as a huge win for India’s manufacturers and farmers.

And that isn’t all. Ten days earlier, the EU signed a free trade agreement with South America. “Supported by South America’s cattle-raising countries and European industrial interests, the accord will gradually eliminate more than 90% of tariffs on goods ranging from Argentine beef to German cars, creating one of the world’s largest free trade zones and making shopping cheaper for more than 700 million consumers.”

And that’s not all either. The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled Stung by Trump, America’s Top Trading Partners Shift Gaze to China, with the deck, “Some U.S. allies are weighing closer ties to Beijing as they seek alternative markets.” The article mentioned trade initiatives by the UK, Germany, Finland, South Korea, and even Canada. Though these deals focus on specific products rather than adopting free trade for everything, they undermine U.S. efforts to counter China’s growing power.

Free trade historically has meant big economic advantages for all parties, but the U.S. is cutting itself out. It isn’t surprising that if America is putting up obstacles to world trade, the rest of the world will just trade with each other.

office of the ministry

pastoral burn-out

trade agreements

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