“If you bear the name of Jesus Christ, there’s no armor greater than that,” Christian nationalist leader Doug Wilson declared at a recent worship service at the Pentagon, an event he called a sign of national revival.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prayed with Wilson and thanked him for worshipping God in a place “where many different things were worshiped for a very long time. And here we get a chance to worship Jesus Christ openly and in public,” reported Word & Way.
Invitations to the service called it “SECWAR’S PRAYER SERVICE,” which have previously featured four Southern Baptist pastors. (Hegseth claims to have changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War although he lacks authority to do so.)
The next week, Hegseth took his Christian America message to NRB 2026, the National Religious broadcasters’ annual meeting. His talk was part of NRB’s “Freedom 250 Celebration,” which brought together national leaders, Christian voices and cultural influencers for an evening honoring the faith foundations of the American experiment and the enduring call to live as ‘one nation under God.’”
“I stand before all of you simply as a sinner, imperfect yet forgiven, redeemed by Christ to speak of the enduring inheritance that has shaped our great republic,” Hegseth told NRB. “The Western Christian tradition, a vibrant and living legacy that has shaped our civilization for millennia and continues to offer us the narrow path in a modern, wide path world — a world beset by dangerous and godless foreign ideologies that sow doubt, sin, confusion and death.”
Hegseth claimed the core tenets of American governance and individual liberty are drawn directly from Christian faith.
“The Declaration of Independence proclaims, ‘endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights,’” Hegseth said. “This is not the language of secularism. It is the language of faith — an acknowledgement to the world that our most fundamental liberties are gifts from God, not government.”
In addition to Hegseth, NRB’s “Freedom 250 Celebration” featured representatives of The Babylon Bee, Prager U and Christian “historian” and GOP organizer David Barton. The celebration is sponsored by Barton’s WallBuilders, Coral Ridge Ministries, Liberty University’s Standing for Freedom Center and Flash Point Army — a program of Flash Point, a TV show featuring “Trump prophets.”
Doug Wilson preaches at the Pentagon (DOD photo)
At the Pentagon, Hegseth has promoted his brand of conservative Reformed theology. He held the first of his monthly voluntary Pentagon worship services last May with Brooks Potteiger, pastor of Christ Kirk DC, part of Wilson’s denomination, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
Wilson, who teaches that slavery was good for slaves and women should not vote or hold leadership roles, leads a Moscow, Idaho, empire that includes a network of nearly 475 schools (Association of Classical Christian Schools), Canon Press and New Saint Andrews College.
Hegseth’s accommodations to Christians at the Pentagon are in stark contrast to his treatment of military members of other faiths. In September, he told DOD leaders there would be “no more beards, long hair (or) superficial individual expression.”
Hegseth’s accommodations to Christians at the Pentagon are in stark contrast to his treatment of military members of other faiths.
“The proposed changes would force thousands of service members — including Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Rastafarians and other religious personnel — to choose between practicing their faith or their military service,” warned 48 members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said it had received dozens of complaints about the Pentagon services from members. The group was founded by Air Force veteran Mikey Weinstein and has criticized evangelicals’ efforts to Christianize the military since raising complaints about indoctrination at the U.S. Air Force Academy decades ago.
News outlet Military.com said it had heard complaints from service members and military contractors who fear failing to go along with Hegseth’s religious activities will cost them.
“You don’t actually need evidence of retribution to find fault with the leader of a government agency inviting his employees for a prayer service. It’s inherently discriminatory,” said one contractor.
“It provides an opportunity for Christians to get face time and be in the room with higher-ups, perhaps interacting on a social level. Jews, Muslims and other non-Christians are not provided this opportunity,” they added.
Pentagon services have been led by Baptist pastors and evangelist and activist Franklin Graham, who preached about God being a “God of war” at a Dec. 17 Christmas service.
Word & Way’s Brian Kaylor has consistently covered the Pentagon worship services as other outlets have lost interest. He also has reported on DOD promotional videos featuring Bible verses overlayed on clips of fighter jets, tanks, missiles and soldiers. Kaylor’s reporting shows that Southern Baptist pastors are regulars at the services:
- June 17: Chris Durkin of Colts Neck Community Church in Colts Neck, N.J. Hegseth says Durkin spurred his renewed interest in Christianity and the two cohosted FOX Nation’s “The Life of Jesus” series.
- 13: Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in D.C. and leader of the 9Marks ministry.
- 22: Brad Palka of King’s Church DC.
- 19: Garrett Kell, who served at Capitol Hill Baptist Church before going to Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. Kell’s son is on a homeschool basketball team with Hegseth’s son.