Most Americans do not like church pastors endorsing politicians, study finds

About 79 percent of Americans say they do not want their pastors to endorse a candidate at church. However, more than half of the respondents do not want their churches to lose its tax-exempt status if they do.

The report by LifeWay research comes from a comparison of results of telephone surveys done in 2008 and 2015. The findings show that there is still a strong disapproval of endorsement in churches.

In 2008, 86 percent disagreed that it is appropriate for pastors to endorse a candidate during church service. 19 percent agreed and one percent said they were not sure.

Compared with the results of the 2015 survey, the number of respondents who disagreed declined slightly at 79 percent. 19 percent agreed and two percent were not sure.

In 2008, 53 percent of the respondents agreed that it is appropriate for pastors to endorse a candidate outside the church. In 2015, only 43 percent agreed.

When asked whether it is appropriate for churches to use their resources for the campaign of political candidates, 81 percent disagreed in 2015 while 85 percent disagreed in 2008.

In 2015, 42 percent said that churches should lose their tax-exempt status when they endorse a candidate. 52 percent disagreed while five percent said they were not sure.

In 2008, 52 percent agreed while 42 percent disagreed. Six percent were not sure.

"Endorsements from the pulpit are unpopular and most Americans say they are inappropriate," said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. "But they don't want churches to be punished for something a pastor said."

The ban on endorsements, known as the Johnson Amendment, was approved in 1954. It forbids non-profit organizations from engaging in political campaigns.

A Pew poll conducted in July revealed that 14 percent of American churchgoers have heard their pastor endorse or speak against a specific candidate despite the ban.

Last July, Donald Trump promised to repeal the Johnson Amendment if he is elected.

"We're going to get rid of that horrible Johnson Amendment and we're going to let evangelicals, we're going to let Christians and Jews and people of religion talk without being afraid to talk," Trump declared during a speech in New York.