(Editor’s Note: To be more correct, the headline should read ‘Leaders of member denominations and churches of the National Association of Evangelicals (i.e., Dr. Roy Taylor, Stated Clerk of the PCA and others in similar postions) favor Tim Pawlenty)

With the presidential elections 18 months away, 45 percent of the country’s evangelical leaders are looking to Tim Pawlenty as the Republican candidate over Mormon Mitt Romney, who seems to be a stronger favorite in general polls, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Evangelicals.

The Midwestern leader is one of their own: Pawlenty attends Wooddale Church, headed up by Leith Anderson, the president of the NAE.

A Religion News Service article published a few days ago reported that Anderson, though he sees biblical teachings as opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, does not preach about legislative stances, party politics or specific candidates.

“Pawlenty leads the list of Republican candidates for our evangelical leaders, which might be expected since he is so often identified as an evangelical,” said Anderson, of the poll results. “Although, like the rest of the nation, there are still many undecided.
With more than a year before the national nominating conventions, a lot can change.”

At this point, 22 percent of evangelical leaders said they were undecided.
Behind Pawlenty, the next most-favored candidate was Mitt Romney, selected by 14 percent of those surveyed.

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