Hegseth Calls for Ruthless Action Against Adversaries During Pentagon Worship
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the podium at the Pentagon on Wednesday, leading his inaugural monthly Christian worship service since the onset of the Iran conflict. His fervent prayers included a plea for "every round to find its mark" against adversaries of the United States.
Livestreamed for a broader audience, Hegseth emphasized the significance of the gathering, stating it was "all the more fitting this month, at this moment, given what tens of thousands of Americans are doing right now."
During the service, he recited a prayer attributed to a military chaplain, declaring, "Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy."
He further quoted from the Psalms, asserting, "I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed."
Hegseth's evangelical faith often colors his rhetoric as he leads the armed forces, framing the U.S. as a Christian nation engaged in a battle against its foes through military strength.
This rhetoric has come under scrutiny amid escalating tensions in the Iran war and other global conflicts, particularly in light of his previous defense of the Crusades—historical conflicts between Christians and Muslims.
While expressions of faith are commonplace in American public life, Hegseth's approach frequently transcends typical calls for divine blessing. Just last week, he urged Americans to pray for service members "in the name of Jesus Christ," a sentiment he reiterated during Wednesday's service.
Ronit Stahl, an author and historian at the University of California at Berkeley, remarked on the implications of Hegseth's specific invocation of Jesus Christ. "The shift towards specificity in religious language is new, especially from a defense secretary," she noted.
Stahl raised concerns about the ramifications for a nation without an established religion, questioning what it signifies to have a leader who is not merely broadly religious but adheres to a particular form of Protestant Christianity.
Hegseth is affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), a conservative network co-founded by Christian nationalist Doug Wilson. CREC pastors have frequently led worship at Hegseth’s Pentagon services.
A lawsuit was filed Monday by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, challenging these services. The advocacy group also filed a similar suit against the Labor Department, where Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer hosts prayer gatherings reportedly inspired by Hegseth. The lawsuit seeks internal Pentagon communications regarding these worship services.
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United, accused Hegseth and Chavez-DeRemer of misusing their government positions to impose their religious beliefs on federal employees. "Even if these prayer services are presented as voluntary," she stated, "there is pressure on federal employees to attend in order to appease their bosses."
Military chaplains typically conduct worship services within the defense department, offering spiritual care across various faiths. Hegseth announced two reforms aimed at "making the chaplain corps great again," expressing a desire for chaplains to focus more on God rather than therapeutic self-help.
In a video message, he revealed that chaplains would no longer wear rank insignia on their uniforms but would instead be identified by religious symbols. He argued this change would alleviate any discomfort service members might feel when seeking spiritual guidance from officers. Additionally, he disclosed plans to reduce recognized faith codes from over 200 to just 31.
This reduction will eliminate many small Protestant denominations and identifiers for Wiccans, atheists, and agnostics. The Pentagon has not responded to inquiries regarding these changes, and an updated list of religious affiliation codes has yet to be released.
The military's religious landscape is diverse; a 2019 congressional report indicated that nearly 70% of troops identify as Christian, while almost a quarter fall under "other/unclassified/unknown," with smaller percentages identifying as atheists/agnostics, Jews, Muslims, and followers of Eastern religions.
At Wednesday’s service, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins delivered a message focused on overcoming fear and following Jesus. Collins, an Air Force chaplain and Southern Baptist pastor, continued the trend of only evangelicals presiding over Hegseth’s services.
Hegseth began hosting worship at the Pentagon in May 2025 with his Tennessee pastor Brooks Potteiger preaching. Potteiger is set to move to Washington, D.C., to lead Christ Church DC, a new CREC congregation that Hegseth has attended.
Raised in a Baptist tradition, Hegseth experienced a pivotal moment in his faith journey in 2018. Following this turning point, he began attending an evangelical church in New Jersey whose pastor preached at the Pentagon last year. He later relocated with his family to a Nashville suburb to enroll their children in a classical Christian school affiliated with CREC and began attending Potteiger’s church.
Addressing his Pentagon worship services at a gathering of Christian broadcasters in February, Hegseth remarked, "We mostly do it because I need it more than anybody else." He added, "We hear a lot from the ‘freedom from religion’ crowd. They hate it. The left-wing shrieks, which means we’re right over the target."
