Pentagon creates Office of Religious Affairs amid chaplain concerns over Christian bias

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established an Office of Religious Affairs, intended to give chaplains a direct line to the secretary and to coordinate spiritual-fitness initiatives across the force. The move coincides with Hegseth’s “Send Me” campaign, which draws on biblical language and has been criticized as promoting a Christian crusade narrative. A non-Christian Army captain and former chaplain Rebekah Savage warned that the office’s authority—reporting to Hegseth and the deputy defense secretary and overseeing the Armed Forces Chaplains Board—could tilt resources toward Christian groups and limit pluralism within the chaplain corps.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson defended the office, citing constitutional protections and historical Christian influence. Critics also note recent changes to the military’s Religious Affiliations Code that obscure minority faiths, raising doubts about equitable funding for faith-based programs. The controversy highlights tension between the department’s stated commitment to religious freedom and the secretary’s personal religious symbolism.