Few pastors endorse political candidates outside their role at church. Even fewer endorse during a church service. Most Americans like it that way, but they’re growing more supportive of churches jumping into the political fray, according to a newly-released study.
Lifeway Research studies of U.S. Protestant pastors and Americans found little practice or support for political endorsements from clergy and churches. Nearly all pastors (98%) say they have not backed a candidate during a church service this year. Three in 5 Americans (60%) believe it is inappropriate for a pastor to endorse candidates at church, as opposed to 86% in a 2008 phone survey.
“As the nation becomes less religious, Americans have less concern about the church’s influence over politics,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Yet the majority of Americans still don’t want official candidate support coming from churches.”
Bully pulpit
Few pastors are endorsing during a church service this year (2%), and just 25% say they’ve endorsed a candidate for public office outside their church role this year. Even anonymously in a recent survey from Lifeway Research, 23% refused to give their preference in the presidential election, up significantly from 2020 (4%) and 2016 (3%).
The percentage of pastors refusing to endorse during a church service has remained unchanged over the past three presidential elections — 98% in 2024, 2020 and 2016. However, fewer pastors say they’ve publicly supported a candidate outside of the church this year compared to four years ago — 25% in 2024 and 32% in 2020. A similar number as today endorsed away from the church in 2016 (22%).
“Almost all Protestant pastors reserve the pulpit for promoting Jesus Christ rather than a woman or man running for public office,” McConnell noted. “It is unclear whether the drop in candidate endorsements by pastors outside of their role at church is due to lack of excitement about this year’s candidates or concerns over disrupting unity within their churches.”
Older pastors are more likely to have endorsed a candidate away from their church. Protestant pastors aged 65 and older (36%) and 55–64 (32%) are far more likely than those 45–54 (18%) and 18–44 (11%) to have personally endorsed this election year.
African American pastors (40%) are around twice as likely as white (24%) and Hispanic pastors (20%) to say they’ve backed a candidate this year outside of their church role. Those at churches in the South (30%) are more likely than those in the Midwest (22%) and Northeast (20%) to have endorsed away from the church.
Pentecostal (34%), Baptist (33%) and Methodist (25%) pastors are more likely than Lutherans (15%) to have personally endorsed a candidate outside their church role. Pastors at the smallest churches, those with fewer than 50 in attendance, are most likely to say they’ve made personal endorsements (32%) outside their church.
Politically, Protestant pastors who say they are Republicans (32%) or Democrats (28%) are more likely than independents (16%) to have endorsed a candidate outside of church this year. Those who say they’re voting for former President Donald Trump (38%) and those supporting Vice President Kamala Harris (34%) are also more likely than those who are undecided in the presidential race (8%) to have given a personal endorsement to a candidate for public office.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Aaron Earls is a writer for Lifeway Christian Resources.
