Among all Christian pastors in the United States, slightly more than one out of every three (37%)
possesses a biblical worldview.
The proportion varies by the pastoral position held. Among Senior Pastors, four out of 10 (41%) have
a biblical worldview—the highest incidence among any of the five pastoral positions studied. Next
highest was the 28% among Associate Pastors. Less than half as many Teaching Pastors (13%) and
Children’s and Youth Pastors (12%) have a biblical worldview. The lowest level of biblical worldview was
among Executive Pastors—only 4% have consistently biblical beliefs and behaviors.
Much like other Americans, the pastors who do not have a biblical worldview are unlikely to fully
embrace a competing worldview (such as Secular Humanism, Marxism, or others). In fact, less than 1%
of pastors embody a worldview other than Biblical Theism (i.e., the biblical worldview).
Instead, their prevailing worldview is best described as Syncretism, the blending of ideas and
applications from a variety of holistic worldviews into a unique but inconsistent combination that
represents their personal preferences. More than six out of 10 pastors (62%) have a predominantly
syncretistic worldview.
While it is shocking to discover that a large majority of Christian pastors do not possess a biblical
worldview, pastors are more likely than other population segments studied by the Cultural Research
Center at Arizona Christian University to embrace this life philosophy.
For instance, 37% of Christian pastors have a biblical worldview, compared to just 2% of the parents of
preteens. The incidence is similarly low among other key population segments: men (2%), women (4%),
whites (4%), blacks (2%), Hispanics (less than one-half of one percent).
American Worldview Inventory 2022: Dr. George Barna, Director of Research Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University Release Date: May 10, 2022