Christian Ministry Leaders Grow Less Confident in Trump’s Policies
By Kim Roberts - Posted at MinistryWatch:
Published May 29, 2026
Optimism about the administration's impact on Christian work has dropped — even as most ministries report revenue growth and rising AI adoption.Optimism is down by 15 percentage points among Christian ministry leaders about the positive impact Trump administration policies have on their work.
Not long after President Donald Trump won the election, a January 2025 MinistryWatch survey of Christian ministry executives showed that about 54% were optimistic Trump’s policies would have a positive impact on the work they do—in the most recent poll, that number dropped to 39%.
And instead of 19% of leaders thinking the administration might have a negative impact, that number has risen to 27%.
Only about 5% of leaders said the administration’s policies will have no impact, and roughly 28% said they don’t know what impact it will have.
MinistryWatch has been conducting its quarterly survey of leaders of the nation’s 1,000 largest Christian ministries since October 2022. We have consistently reported about the insights they have provided, highlighting noteworthy trends over time.
These most recent numbers are reflective of a study in May 2026 by The Center for Effective Philanthropy, which found that a large majority — 73% — of nonprofits reported an increased demand for their services “while also facing heightened financial instability, staffing challenges, burnout, and an atmosphere of fear and stress.” Only slightly fewer — at 66% — expressed concerns about the financial stability of their organizations.
