Fourteen per cent of senior pastors and 21 per cent of youth pastors struggle with using pornography, a new Barna Group survey has found.
Both accidental and intentional exposure to pornography has increased, with half of teenagers and almost three-quarters of young adults viewing pornography at least monthly.
Both teenagers and young adults on average consider the viewing of pornography less immoral than failing to recycle, according to the report. Less than one-third (32 per cent) said viewing porn is "usually or always wrong", compared to more than half (56 per cent) who said the same of recycling.
The study, commissioned by Josh McDowell Ministry and internet accountability software provider Covenant Eyes, surveyed 2,700 Americans.
"What this study shows is that little by little, porn is becoming more acceptable, more spiritually OK" among teenagers and young adults, McDowell said. He warned that pornography is "so accessible now and becoming more accessible, it's going to become more mainstream."
Over twice as many young adults aged 25-30 first viewed pornography before puberty than the generation before them. Twenty-seven per cent of 25-30s said they were first exposed to it before puberty, compared to 13 per cent from Generation X.
The number of teenagers and young adults actively seeking pornography on a monthly basis is also significant: 43 per cent of teens, 57 per cent of 18-24s and 45 per cent of 25-30s
Importantly, it was not just men found to be viewing porn. More than half (56 per cent) of women aged 13-24 "actively seek out porn" at least once a month, compared to 28 per cent of women aged 25 and older.
McDowell suggested that although there is no "single silver bullet" to reduce use of pornography, there are ways to counteract this growing trend.
Churches and ministries must move away from "one strike and you're out" policies towards the use of pornography by members of staff he said, as they can "drive [porn use] underground."
While maintaining that unrepentant users of porn should be fired, repentant church workers should be given support rather than sacked, McDowell added.
He also suggested that a "biblical model of sexuality" should be taught to children aged 6 or 7, before they are exposed to pornography.
"Pastors and the church need to help parents create such a loving, intimate, safe home environment that [a] child is totally free and comfortable to ask mommy and daddy anything without shame, without judgment," McDowell said.
Along with Covenant Eyes, McDowell is hosting a Set Free Global Summit on 4-7 April to unveil the full results of this study.