Support for patriotic July 4 church services drops sharply among pastors
As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day and the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary, fewer Protestant pastors believe patriotic displays belong in church worship services.
A new Lifeway Research survey released Tuesday found that only 45% of Protestant pastors say it's "important to incorporate patriotic elements into worship services" held on or around the Fourth of July.
This represents a sharp decline from 2016, when 61% of pastors said “patriotic elements” were important for services held the week of Independence Day. In 2021, 56% of surveyed pastors said the same thing.
Meanwhile, pastors who disagree with “patriotic elements” being important for services occurring around the 4th of July has increased from 37% in 2016 to 53% last year.
Lifeway found some variance in the pattern among denominations and age groups. For example, pastors aged 65 or older were far more likely to consider patriotic aspects important than pastors younger than 44 (63% vs. 29%).
Among denominational affiliations, 64% of Pentecostals supported including patriotic elements during July 4th worship services, while only 29% of Presbyterian/Reformed said the same.
While 52% of pastors belonging to mainline Protestant denominations disagreed with having patriotic aspects, 46% of pastors who identified as Evangelical responded the same way.
Despite the majority of pastors disagreeing with including patriotic elements, most respondents did note that their churches do other things to observe Independence Day, with 62% saying they will recognize living veterans during the service and 55% reporting that they “include special music honoring America.”
“While fewer pastors say it is important to incorporate patriotic elements into worship services the week of July Fourth, most still do something,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, as quoted in the report.
“For churches with something special for July Fourth during their worship service, more focus is on people within the congregation who have helped our country rather than a focus on the country itself.”
The Lifeway Research report drew from a survey of 1,003 Protestant pastors conducted in September 2025, with a margin of error of +3.3% at the 95% confidence level.
The report comes as many churches and Christian organizations oversee events aimed at celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Last month, for example, thousands of Christians gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., alongside pastors from across the U.S. for a Christian prayer rally known as “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving.”
