Pastor Survey: Billy Graham Most Influential, Most Trusted

Barna spread his poll over three basic groups of Protestant clergy: Pentecostal, Baptist, and "Mainline" (American Baptist/U.S.A., United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian Church U.S.A.).

After asking more than 600 senior pastors to identify up to three individuals they consider to have the greatest influence on churches and church leaders, as well as those they consider to be the most trusted spokesperson for the faith, the pollster makes several observations -- among them:

• Evangelicals dominate both lists;
• Denominational background affects pastors' choice of leaders;
• Para-church leaders, by far, are more likely be cited as trusted ambassadors of Christianity; and
• The influence of those cited is "broad and deep," as less than two dozen names show up on the two lists.

Once the final survey results were tallied, one individual's name appeared at the top of both lists, regardless of the clergy segment: Dr. Billy Graham. Thirty-four percent of pastors feel the 86-year-old evangelist has the greatest influence on American churches today -- but an even larger group (58%) see him as the most trusted spokesperson for Christianity.

Barna notes that trustworthiness seems to be tied longevity. "A majority of the individuals on the spokesperson list are 60 or older," notes the Barna report. In contrast, the list of "influencers" contains only a few who are in that age group.

Among all pastors, the following three spots (after Graham) for being the "greatest influence on churches" were held by pastor/author Rick Warren, President George W. Bush, and Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. Those same three individuals held the same ranking across all three clergy segments, with the exception of Pentecostal pastors, who boosted Bush to the #2 slot, dropped Warren to #4, and replaced Dobson with Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter's House, a multi-racial, non-denominational "mega-church" in Dallas.

Jakes also comes in at #4 among all pastors when it comes to being considered a trusted spokesperson for the Christian faith in America. He follows Dobson and Warren on that particular list. Among the clergy segments for "trustworthiness" (spots #2 through #4, following Billy Graham) were Warren, Dobson, and Dr. Robert Schuller (Mainline); Dobson, Warren, and Dr. Jerry Falwell (Baptist), and Jakes, Dobson, and Bishop G.E. Patterson (Pentecostal).

Other familiar names appearing among the top ten lists include: authors/speakers Max Lucado, John MacArthur, and John Maxwell; pastors Adrian Rogers, Bill Hybels, D. James Kennedy, John Hagee, and Chuck Swindoll; Methodist Bishop Wil Willimon; evangelists/teachers Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer; and broadcasters Pat Robertson and Paul Crouch.

According to Barna, who himself appeared on the overall top ten "influencers" list, the research shows that pastors tend to value the leadership from the people who are most similar to themselves.

"There was a noteworthy correlation between a pastor's theological traditions and theological bent and that of the people chosen as the most influential," the pollster states. "Pastors tend to list the people they know best and with whom they feel most comfortable, whether the individual has a national audience or not."

Barna concludes his report by explaining that it is natural for pastors to assume that whoever influences them also influences other people to a similar degree. But this research "indicates otherwise," he says.

© 2005 Agape Press. All rights reserved. Used with permission.