U.S. - The back pew at church was voted the best seat in the house among churchgoers for the 58th year running, sources at LifeWay Research confirmed Tuesday.

Regular church attendees were polled on their preferences for a place to sit during a service, with options ranging from the various pews in the sanctuary and the overflow room to the comfort of one's own home while watching an online broadcast.

Over 92% of those polled stated that sitting in the very back pew is the perfect spot: far enough away that the pastor can't effectively gaze into your soul, but close enough that you feel good about yourself for showing up unlike those heathens who are playing hooky.

"Respondents did seem to prefer an aisle seat so they can slip out as soon as the last worship song starts, but were almost unanimous in their enthusiasm over finding a spot in the back," Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research said. "Things like being able to covertly check sports scores on one's smartphone and 'totally space out' during a sermon without the pastor knowing were both major factors in the popularity of the pew."

The front pew was voted the second worst spot in church, according to researchers, just behind those chairs onstage behind the pastor.