Survey: Pastors don’t link world events to hastening Christ’s return

Survey: Pastors don’t link world events to hastening Christ’s return

Many Protestant pastors believe Christians can speed up the return of Christ but not through involvement in conflicts in the Middle East, according to a recent LifeWay Research study.  

According to the survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors, 41% believe Christians can hasten Jesus’ second coming through world evangelism. Only 12% believe Christians can speed up Jesus’ return by supporting geopolitical changes mentioned in the Bible.

A 2013 LifeWay study conducted during a time of heightened conflicts with Syria found many Americans were likely to link global conflict with end times. Almost 1 in 3 Americans in that survey saw the conflict as part of the Bible’s plan for the end times. One in 4 thought a U.S. military strike in Syria could lead to Armageddon. And 1 in 5 believed the world would end in their lifetime, including 32% of evangelicals.

In the most recent study of Protestant pastors, no significant difference exists between mainline and evangelical pastors regarding their views about international political affairs speeding up the return of Christ.

Whenever the second coming of Christ may be, most Protestant pastors believe immorality will be more common until Jesus returns.

Almost 7 in 10 (68%) of pastors surveyed agree “culture will increasingly get less moral until Jesus Christ returns.” 

For more information or to view the complete report, visit LifeWayResearch.com. (BP)