A recent Lifeway Research survey of church leaders in the US has revealed that twice as many pastors plan to support former President Donald Trump (50 per cent) over Vice President Kamala Harris (24 per cent) in the upcoming US election, with 23 per cent saying they are ‘undecided’.

The survey also highlighted the political sensitivity among pastors, with many reluctant to share their preferences.

“The growing number of pastors unwilling to respond with their voting intentions shows how sensitive or divisive politics has become in some churches,” Lifeway Research executive director Scott McConnell said in a statement.

Half of the pastors identified as Republicans, 25 per cent as independents, and 18 per cent as Democrats. Among denominations, 65 per cent of Pentecostal pastors plan to support Trump, followed closely by Baptists and non-denominational Christians (64 per cent each), and 55 per cent of Church of Christ pastors. Evangelical pastors (61 per cent) were significantly more likely to support Trump than their mainline Protestant counterparts (30 per cent).

The survey also explored which characteristics pastors prioritise in a presidential candidate. The "ability to maintain national security" was deemed most important by 85 per cent of respondents, followed by the "ability to protect religious freedom" (84 per cent), along with positions on foreign policy and the economy (both 83 per cent).

When asked for the single most important factor influencing their vote, 24 per cent of pastors highlighted personal character. Other key factors included abortion (18 per cent), religious freedom (16 per cent), and economic improvement (12 per cent).

"Pastors are not single-issue voters. They care deeply about where presidential candidates stand on many issues," McConnell said. "There are moral dimensions to all of the characteristics that could be selected, and pastors did not all pick the same characteristic as most important."