Pete Hegseth Invited His Christian Nationalist Pastor to Preach at the Pentagon

And his Trump administration ties run deep

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invited his self-proclaimed Christian nationalist pastor, Doug Wilson, to lead a worship service at the Pentagon.

The same pastor who is known for arguing that wives should submit to their husbands, women should be denied the right to vote, and Christian enslavers were on “firm scriptural ground.”

Since the 1970s, Doug Wilson has built an evangelical empire, including a network of churches known as the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which bars women from leadership roles. The network now includes more than 150 congregations across four continents.

In recent years, however, Wilson has found a growing and increasingly mainstream audience within the Republican Party, including some of Donald Trump’s closest allies.

Last year, Doug Wilson appeared on The Tucker Carlson Podcast and spoke at Turning Point USA’s “The Believers’ Summit,” hosted by Charlie Kirk.

Wilson has also benefited directly from Donald Trump’s return to office. In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened on behalf of Wilson’s church, suing the town of Troy, Idaho, after the town denied its application to operate out of a former bank building, citing parking and traffic concerns tied to its location in the business district.

Doug Wilson has made clear that he intends to deepen his ties to MAGA politicians.

He recently opened a church in Washington, D.C., explicitly citing what he called “many strategic opportunities with numerous evangelicals who will be present both in and around the Trump administration.”

The inaugural service of Christ Church Washington D.C. was held inside a building owned by the Conservative Partnership Institute. The institute is co-led by Mark Meadows, who served as Donald Trump’s chief of staff, and sits at the center of a powerful network of conservative groups.

The network includes the Center for Renewing America, founded by Trump budget director and Project 2025 co-author Russell Vought, and America First Legal, co-founded by current White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

In his 15-minute sermon at the Pentagon, Wilson said they were praying for “a black swan revival,” AKA a “great awakening” of Christianity in the United States.

But remember—their version of a “great awakening” means increasing MAGA’s power and eroding the separation of church and state.

The more people know about what is happening, the better.

We need everyone to be informed and raise their voices to keep Christian Nationalists out of our government.