‘Startling disconnect.’ Half of pastors hear conspiracy theories in church, study shows

Conspiracy theories are not limited to Facebook and Twitter. They are also traveling through churches across the country, pastors say.

Nearly half (49%) of the 1,007 Protestant pastors polled by Lifeway Research said they frequently hear their congregation repeating conspiracy theories regarding current events in the United States.

Sixty-one percent of the pastors polled at churches with more than 250 attendees say they hear the theories. White pastors are also more likely to hear them than Black pastors, according to the poll.

“Christian churches resolve to be places focused on the truth,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Yet, half of pastors hear the spread of assumptions about plots often. This is a startling disconnect.”

During the last year, there have been many theories spread involving the coronavirus and later its vaccine, as well as the presidential election.

Pastors 65 years and older are least likely to hear the conspiracy theories. Just 34% of them said they notice those ideas in their churches, according to the poll.

“While conspiracy theories may be embraced by a minority of churchgoers, the larger the church the more minds and mouths exist to be misled,” McConnell said. “At this time, it appears more of the theories are traveling in politically conservative circles which corresponds to the higher percentages in the churches led by white Protestant pastors.”

Lifeway Research conducted its poll Sept. 1-Oct. 1 over the phone and online. There is a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.4%.

This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 12:23 PM with the headline "‘Startling disconnect.’ Half of pastors hear conspiracy theories in church, study shows."