More Than 9 in 10 Protestant Pastors Reject Political Endorsements From the Pulpit Despite IRS Stance

October 19, 2026

A recent Lifeway Research survey shows a majority of Protestant pastors in the United States say they will not be endorsing political candidates during church services ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, even if such endorsements would not jeopardize their churches’ tax-exempt status.

Christianity Daily reports that the study, conducted among 1,003 Protestant pastors nationwide between Sept. 2 and 24, 2025, found that 93% would refrain from publicly supporting candidates from the pulpit.

Respondents were asked to imagine a scenario in which the Internal Revenue Service would not withdraw a church’s tax-exempt status if its pastors or leaders endorsed political candidates during worship services.

Just 5% of the pastors surveyed indicated that they would make such endorsements, while the remaining 2% expressed uncertainty.

The survey’s findings emerge as the federal government faces legal questions surrounding the Johnson Amendment, a provision enacted in 1954 that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from participating in partisan political campaigns.

In 2024, the National Religious Broadcasters and two churches filed a lawsuit against the federal government, challenging restrictions on political endorsements by religious organizations.

According to Christianity Daily, in July 2025, the IRS and the plaintiffs jointly proposed a consent judgment indicating that the agency would not apply the Johnson Amendment to electoral political speech delivered by houses of worship during religious services.

Despite the Trump administration’s stance on enforcing the Johnson Amendment, the survey suggests that most pastors remain guided by considerations other than potential tax penalties.

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted, “If the IRS ultimately allows candidates to be endorsed in church services, 93% of pastors will not do so. What pastors say from the pulpit has far more to do with their religious convictions than avoiding tax penalties.”

Photo: top, Credit: Unsplash/Diana Polkhina