Baptists gain eight seats in Congress, but strong Christian majority on decline

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 By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press:

Published January 6, 2025

WASHINGTON (BP) – Mark Harris, who began a term in Congress this year after a 10-year quest, will continue serving at Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville, N.C., the Southern Baptist pastor told the Biblical Recorder.

Harris is among 12 new Baptists included in 75 Baptists serving in the 119th Congress, according to analyses from CQ Roll Call and Pew Research, a net increase of eight over the 67 who served in the previous Congress.

The new Congress, which met briefly today to certify Donald Trump as U.S. president, includes 461 Christians, compared to 469 in the 118th Congress, and 491 in the 2015-2017 session.

While overwhelmingly Christian and more Christian than the general population, the Christian share of Congress has continued to decline for more than a decade, Pew Research said in its analysis based on its 2023 National Public Opinion Reference Survey and CQ Roll Call numbers.

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