Parishioners place significant trust in their pastors when it comes to addressing poverty, according to a Barna Group report released on July 31.
Among practicing Christian respondents, 54 percent said they “definitely” trust their pastor’s opinion on global poverty, with 40 percent saying they “probably” would.
According to a Barna report, a strong majority of the American public (88%), including 92 percent of practicing Christians, trusts the opinion of a pastor when it comes to the issue of global poverty. (Pixabay)Among all U.S. adults, 39 percent said “definitely,” and 49 percent said “probably.”
Around half (55 percent) of pastors have spoken about international poverty with their congregations over the past year, and 43 percent sought to persuade others to volunteer or make a donation to help those in need.
“The trust that the American public places in pastors’ opinions of poverty presents an increasingly rare public platform for ministers,” Barna stated. “[P]astors have incredible potential to lead the charge and position the U.S. church as a powerful force in anti-poverty endeavors.”
The full report is available here.
This article originally appeared at EthicsDaily.com.
