The latest survey by Ipsos Mori shows only 62 per cent of people say they trust clergy to tell the truth.
That compares with 69 per cent two years ago and 85 per cent in 1983 when the first survey was done by the organisation.
Ipsos Mori asked 1,001 people about whether they trust different professions to tell the truth.
At the top were nurses on 96 per cent and doctors on 92 per cent closely followed by teachers on 89 per cent.
At the bottom were politicians on 19 per cent and advertising executives on 16 per cent.
Clergy are in the middle of the table on the same level as television newsreaders and the ordinary man or woman in the street.
Addressing the findings on Premier’s News Hour, Rev Michael John from Holy Trinity, Clapham in south London said: “Less and less people are attending church.
“They are having less and less exposure to clergy and church leaders. Maybe that’s got something to do with it – but actually if you don’t know, if you don’t have a relationship with someone who is a member of the clergy, that’s going to affect the trust you have of them.”
He said trust would be improved if people spent more time with clergy.
“I think a classic example would be something like Alpha. You build trust with people over the week and after five or six weeks, you can invite them to church where they will be more open to hearing what you have to say.”
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