In last November’s presidential election, it’s estimated that over 32 million regular Evangelical churchgoers did not vote.
They would have voted 81% conservative.
They would have changed election results at the local and state level.
Even in Democrat-controlled areas…
If these 32 million Christians had voted, more conservative political candidates who share Christian Biblical values would have been elected.
The study by Lifeway Research found that out of the 97% of pastors who vote, roughly 23% are unwilling to discuss candidates or politics with their congregations.
Out of the pastors who were willing to share their preferred candidate:
- 50% voted Republican
- 24% were Democrats
- 23% said they were undecided
- 1% supported a third-party candidate.
The top issues the pastors who voted were concerned about were:
- National Security – 85%
- Protection of religious freedom – 83%
- Foreign policy – 80%
- Economy – 80%
- Immigration – 80%
- Abortion – 80%
- Climate change – 38%
If these pastors would talk about political issues or encourage people to vote in order to fulfill their biblical responsibility, it’s estimated that 5 million regular churchgoers would be more inclined to vote.
That would certainly change the outcome of elections.
But it’s not just the pastors who are failing in their responsibility to urge their congregations to vote; it’s also the Christian voters who are registered to vote but don’t.
So, why aren’t churchgoers and people of faith voting?
According to the report:
- Half believe their votes don’t matter because the elections are rigged.
- Two-thirds say they lack interest in politics and elections.
Other reasons were:
- A dislike of all the major candidates.
- None of the candidates reflect their most important views.
- Elections have become too controversial for their liking.
- They didn’t know enough about the candidates to choose one.
A similar survey by researchers at Arizona Christian University asked regular attendees of Evangelical Christian churches “if they would prefer their church to be more or less involved in elections?”
The results show that the churchgoing public is split:
- 42% opted for the status quo, preferring that their church maintain the same level of involvement as in the past.
- The other half of the respondents were evenly divided between saying they prefer their church to be more involved (25%) or less involved (27%).
The survey also asked “how churchgoers would feel about their church registering voters, providing information about the issues and candidates, encouraging people to vote—but without endorsing anyone—and “teaching what the Bible says about current social issues.”
- 59% believed that it would help the community.
- 11% felt the church was harming the community.
As I’ve written before, Christians could be the deciding factor in federal, state, local, and judicial races – but are choosing not to be.
Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
There is a clear pathway to getting more Christians to vote– churches and pastors must use their influence.
That’s why pastors must address policy issues, shaping them within a biblical perspective to encourage more Christians to vote.
What do you think? Leave a comment in the comment section below or email me at [email protected].
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