Kevin McCarthy’s Religion: Why the Former House Speaker Identifies as Baptist, Not Catholic

Kevin McCarthy, the former U.S. House Speaker and longtime Republican representative for California’s Central Valley, is a Baptist Christian. Despite his Irish surname leading some to assume a Catholic background, McCarthy and his family are members of Valley Baptist Church, a large Southern Baptist Convention congregation in his hometown of Bakersfield, California, according to reporting from Religion Unplugged and GetReligion. McCarthy has publicly and repeatedly described himself as an evangelical Christian, most notably telling a Washington gathering of religious conservatives in 2014 that he was “proud to be a Christian.”

Public Statements on Faith

McCarthy’s most-cited public remark on his faith came on June 20, 2014, just after he was elected House Majority Leader. Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Road to Majority” conference in Washington, D.C., McCarthy said he was “proud to be a Christian,” a moment covered by both The Washington Post and Roll Call. According to Roll Call’s account of the speech, McCarthy also thanked his “Lord and Savior” for grace and strength in his political career.

McCarthy has also framed policy arguments in explicitly faith-adjacent terms. In a House floor speech opposing taxpayer funding of abortion, later posted by the Christian Coalition of America, McCarthy argued that “Congress must respect their rights of conscience, not disregard them,” and invoked the Declaration of Independence’s language about “God-given freedoms.” These remarks, made in his capacity as House Republican Leader, are consistent with his broader courting of evangelical and religious-conservative audiences throughout his congressional career.

Religious Affiliation and Voting Record

McCarthy’s Baptist affiliation is tied specifically to Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, led by senior pastor Roger Spradlin since 1983. Religion Unplugged reported in January 2023 that when McCarthy became Speaker, both he and the new House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, were Baptists — though from very different traditions, with McCarthy in the mostly white, Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated wing based in Kern County, and Jeffries a lifelong member of a historically Black Baptist congregation in Brooklyn. The same reporting noted McCarthy’s wife, Judy, and their children have also been part of the Valley Baptist congregation.

In Congress, McCarthy’s voting record aligned closely with positions favored by religious-conservative organizations. He maintained a consistent anti-abortion-rights voting record throughout his House career, according to Vote Smart’s compiled record, and he received a 100 percent score from the Family Research Council’s FRC Action scorecard for votes on religious liberty, military policy, and federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Representing California’s 23rd Congressional District — centered on Bakersfield and Kern County, a comparatively conservative and religious pocket of an otherwise heavily Democratic state — McCarthy built a political identity that consistently paired his Baptist faith with socially conservative legislative priorities, courting groups like the Faith and Freedom Coalition and Christian Coalition of America at multiple points in his leadership career.

Quick Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kevin McCarthy Catholic, given his Irish last name?
No. While McCarthy is a common Irish surname historically associated with Catholicism, publicly available reporting identifies McCarthy specifically as a Baptist, attending Valley Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist Convention congregation in Bakersfield — not a Catholic parish. No mainstream source confirms a Catholic affiliation for McCarthy.

Which church does Kevin McCarthy attend?
McCarthy’s home congregation is Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, California, led by senior pastor Roger Spradlin. Religion Unplugged reported that McCarthy’s wife and children are also members of the church.