Jack Graham says pastors urging congregations not to vote 'have lost all credibility'
Justin Peters replies with Paula White criticism
A social media post from a well-known Evangelical pastor has sparked debate about Christians' engagement in politics and what pastors should advise their congregations.
On Saturday, Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation’s largest congregations, expressed his disapproval of fellow Christian leaders who advised against voting in the election.
He wrote: “If you are a pastor or Christian leader advising people not to vote in this most consequential election, you have lost all credibility not only in the church but before a watching world,” referencing Matthew 5:14-16.
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It’s not clear whether Graham intended to make reference to a specific Bible teacher or pastor, but a Barna survey released in October found as many as 104 million people of faith, including 32 million self-identified Christians who regularly attend church, are unlikely to vote on Nov. 5.
Graham’s remarks ignited a firestorm of responses, including from Justin Peters, a Bible scholar known for his criticism of prosperity preachers and the New Apostolic Reformation movement.
Peters countered Graham’s stance by stating, “And if you are a pastor who repeatedly has endorsed and promoted Paula White, you have lost all credibility not only in the (true) church but also before a watching world and the watching Christ.”
And if you are a pastor who repeatedly has endorsed and promoted Paula White, you have lost all credibility not only in the (true) church but also before a watching world and the watching Christ.
— Justin Peters (@JustinPetersMin) November 2, 2024
The remark was an apparent reference to Graham’s endorsement of Paula White-Cain's 2019 book Something Greater, though Peters did not elaborate. Other well-known Christian leaders, including evangelist Franklin Graham and First Baptist Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress, also endorsed White’s book.
Both Jack Graham and White attended the National Faith Summit in Powder Springs, Georgia, where former President Donald Trump vowed to reinstate the faith office he originally established during his first term.
Graham was among several Evangelical leaders who prayed over Trump at the conclusion of the summit.
Graham's comments came just days before Americans head to the polls in what many analysts believe could be a tight race between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump.
Researchers with the Barna Group last month found that voter enthusiasm in 2024 is significantly lower than what it was in 2020, with over half (57%) of the respondents in the study saying they dislike all the major candidates, while 55% felt none of the candidates reflect their most important views.
At least half of all respondents also felt like their one vote wouldn't make a difference and have grown weary of the voting process.
As of Tuesday afternoon, a number of national polls indicated a tight race, including The Hill, which shows a statistical dead heat, and the ABC News/538 polling indicating both Harris and Trump with near-equal chances of victory.
Whoever is ultimately elected, many Christian churches have already distanced themselves from the 2024 presidential election, the research finds, as they abstain even from encouraging their congregants to vote.
"Pastors often seek opportunities to have a positive influence in people's lives and upon the culture, and to help the community in which their church is located," Barna said, adding that his research indicated an estimated 5 million churchgoers could be swayed to cast their vote simply by their pastor encouraging them to do so.
