Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) hit back at critics who say that his tone is overly religious by assuring them that he’s “not running to be ‘Pastor-In-Chief.”

In an interview with CBN, Cruz said that a president shouldn’t act as a pastor, and that if he becomes president he will, “be a president of everybody, president of every faith…”

“I’m not running to be ‘Pastor-In-Chief.’ It is not the calling of a political leader to deliver the salvation message. That is the calling of us as believers, it’s the calling of a pastor but it’s a different role to be a political leader.”

Cruz was quick to point that he will not be ashamed of being a Christian.

“I am a Christian and the Word says if you are ashamed of Jesus He will be ashamed of you. I don’t intend to have that conversation with my maker,” Cruz said.

“My responsibility as president is to defend the constitutional rights of every American, to keep every American safe,” he added.