Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday encouraged evangelical Christians who are reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to consider that the shots might be a part of Gods plan.

State of the Union host Jake Tapper asked Buttigieg, an Episcopalian, about the large portion of white evangelicals who say they wont get a COVID-19 vaccine. About 40% of white evangelical Protestants said they likely would not get vaccinated, according to a poll conducted last month , compared to about 25% of all Americans, 28% of white mainline Protestants and 27% of Protestants who are not white.

Ive heard people I care about saying, you know, If Im faithful, Gods going to take care of me, Buttigieg said. And I guess what I would hope that they might consider is that maybe a vaccine is part of Gods plan for how youre going to take care of yourself.

Buttigieg acknowledged during the exchange on CNN that his opinion on the matter may not sway many white evangelicals, and he urged faith leaders to speak out in support of vaccines.

In the end, I have to admit that its unlikely that an official like me is going to be persuasive to somebody who maybe doesnt feel like Washington has been speaking to them for a long time, Buttigieg said.

The idea of pastoral care is about supporting those who look to you for guidance, he added. So I hope anybody who is looking after a community of people, including a faith community, will consider ways to help guide them toward steps that can protect them and protect those around them.