Pete Hegseth Leads Christian Prayer Service in Pentagon Auditorium

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took a bold step on a busy Wednesday morning by leading a Christian prayer service right in the heart of the Pentagon’s auditorium during official working hours.

This event was not a small gathering, but a standing-room-only affair, where Hegseth, a vocal Christian, invited military personnel and civilian employees to join in worship and prayer.

The service prominently praised President Trump, describing him as a divinely appointed leader whose role is guided by a higher power.

This gathering is part of a growing trend where religious expression, especially conservative Christian beliefs, are increasingly infused into government functions during the Trump administration’s second term.

The event was titled the “Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer & Worship Service” and lasted approximately 30 minutes.

The main speaker was Brooks Potteiger, pastor of the Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship church in Tennessee, where Hegseth and his family have longstanding ties.

Potteiger’s sermon expressed deep gratitude for President Trump’s leadership, crediting him with bringing stability and moral clarity to the nation. He prayed that Trump be surrounded by faithful advisors who fear God’s name and uphold biblical teachings.

The defense secretary himself emphasized that this gathering should become a monthly occurrence, signaling his intent to make regular Christian prayer services a fixture at the Pentagon.

This prayer service took place outside the Pentagon’s chapel, a space added after the 9/11 attacks and traditionally reserved for religious activities.

Holding such a large, official prayer gathering in the auditorium during working hours marked a new and significant display of Christian evangelization within a major government institution.

While it remains unclear if the Defense Department has hosted comparable religious events outside the chapel before, this development fits within a broader push under President Trump to openly celebrate and incorporate conservative Christian values in federal government activities.

During the event, Hegseth stood confidently at a lectern adorned with the seal of the Department of Defense. His opening remarks framed the occasion as a necessary spiritual moment for the nation.

He declared, “This is precisely where I need to be, and I think exactly where we need to be as a nation, at this moment—in prayer, on bended knee recognizing the providence of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.”

He spoke of an “author in heaven overseeing all of this,” referring to God’s hand in world affairs, and said that belief in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gave him the strength to lead and persevere.

Though the attendance was voluntary, Hegseth encouraged military and civilian personnel to invite others to future prayer services.

He stressed that this was a time for humble obedience to biblical law and God’s word, emphasizing spiritual renewal and moral clarity as essential to both personal lives and national wellbeing.

At one point, he led those gathered in prayer, invoking “King Jesus” and asking for wisdom to discern what is right each day, as well as courage to act according to God’s will. The prayer concluded in the name of Jesus Christ, and those assembled, including a general, solemnly responded “Amen.”

The defense secretary’s deputy assistant, Tami Radabaugh, expressed enthusiastic support for the event on social media, praising the Trump administration for sharing her Christian faith.

Radabaugh tweeted her gratitude for leaders who “love the Lord as I do.” The pastor, Potteiger, leads a church affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, an organization with conservative views including male-only leadership, opposition to homosexuality as “unbiblical,” and a stance against women serving in combat roles.

This aligns with Hegseth’s previously stated opinions on gender roles in the military, although he appeared to soften his position somewhat during his Senate confirmation hearings.

Potteiger’s sermon focused heavily on divine guidance for political leadership. He prayed for President Trump’s continued protection, blessings, and wisdom.

He asked God to surround the president with counselors who fear the Lord and love His precepts, underscoring a desire for religiously faithful advisors influencing national policy.

Hegseth described Potteiger as a “Bible-believing, rock steady minister” who has been a long-time mentor to him and his family. He recounted that they had engaged in Bible studies together well before the defense secretary’s current role was even imaginable.

Reflecting on this, Hegseth expressed a sense of awe that they had arrived at this point where such a public prayer service could be held in the Pentagon auditorium.

This event exemplifies the increasing visibility of evangelical Christian influence within the Trump administration and federal government. It highlights a shift from more private expressions of faith to public displays that intertwine religion and politics at high levels of power.

The overt praise of President Trump as God’s appointed leader and the call for his counselors to be spiritually devoted reflects a fusion of political loyalty and religious conviction.

It raises questions about the balance between religious freedom and the constitutional prohibition on establishing a state religion.

The Pentagon press secretary, Sean Parnell, did not immediately answer inquiries about whether future monthly prayer services would include other faith leaders such as Catholic priests, rabbis, or imams, leaving unclear how inclusive these gatherings might become.

President Trump himself has dismissed concerns that his religious rhetoric and actions violate the First Amendment, which forbids government endorsement of a particular religion.

On the campaign trail in 2024, Trump promised to champion his supporters’ brand of conservative Christianity throughout American public life and government operations.

He even signed an executive order in February banning what he called “anti-Christian bias” within federal agencies, reinforcing his commitment to elevating Christianity’s role in the nation.

Inside the Pentagon auditorium that morning, the mood was reverent and solemn. The gathering, which included military officers and civilian employees, bowed their heads in unison as Hegseth prayed, underscoring the deep religiosity permeating the event.

This blending of military, government, and evangelical Christian symbolism underscores the administration’s ideological direction and raises important discussions about pluralism and the place of religion in a diverse federal workplace.

Hegseth’s leadership of the service reveals his personal conviction that the nation requires spiritual renewal to overcome its challenges.

His emphasis on Jesus Christ as sovereign and the guiding “author in heaven” demonstrates how religion informs his view of political leadership and national destiny.

The public nature of the event and its location inside the Pentagon suggest a deliberate effort to normalize religious displays at the highest levels of government and national defense.

The prayers offered by Potteiger that President Trump would be “surrounded by faithful counselors who fear your name and love your precepts” illustrates a hope that biblical principles will shape not only the president’s decisions but also those of his inner circle.

Such a prayer indicates a desire for a government influenced directly by religious morality, raising concerns among advocates for strict separation between church and state.

This service is emblematic of an administration that increasingly views American governance as entwined with a particular evangelical Christian worldview.

The choice of venue—the Pentagon auditorium—is also significant. Traditionally, religious observances within the military have been confined to chapels or designated worship spaces.

Hosting a large prayer gathering in the main auditorium during work hours signals a shift toward institutional endorsement of religious practice. It also serves as a powerful symbolic gesture linking national defense and spiritual allegiance.

Mr. Hegseth’s call for this prayer service to become a regular, monthly event suggests that this intertwining of faith and government will not be a one-time occurrence but an ongoing feature of Pentagon culture under his tenure.

This decision marks a continuation and intensification of President Trump’s broader agenda to embed conservative Christian ideology into federal operations and policy-making.

The event has sparked a range of reactions. Supporters see it as a needed reaffirmation of America’s spiritual foundations and a call to moral courage in leadership.

Critics worry about the implications for religious freedom and the constitutional principle forbidding government endorsement of a single faith.

The absence of clarity about including other faiths in future services has fueled concerns about inclusivity and respect for America’s religious diversity, particularly in an institution as central and diverse as the Department of Defense.

Tensions around religious expression and government have been a recurring theme in recent years, but this event exemplifies how those tensions have escalated.

It represents a moment where faith, politics, and military service are openly and visibly blended, reflecting the worldview of current Pentagon leadership and the administration they serve.

In conclusion, Pete Hegseth’s leadership of the Christian prayer service at the Pentagon auditorium during working hours is a landmark moment in the increasing public presence of evangelical Christianity within the highest levels of the U.S. government.

The event’s praise of President Trump as a God-appointed leader, the pastor’s call for faith-filled counselors, and the administration’s broader efforts to promote conservative Christianity underscore a significant shift in the role religion plays in American governance.

This development invites critical discussion about the future of religious pluralism, constitutional boundaries, and the nature of American leadership as faith and politics become ever more intertwined in the corridors of power.