Pete Hegseth Is Reviving America’s Chaplain Corps

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has launched a major overhaul of the U.S. military’s Chaplain Corps, pledging to “make the Chaplain Corps great again” by restoring its foundational focus on faith, virtue, and spiritual ministry.

In an announcement, Hegseth highlighted the longstanding “weakening” of the Chaplain Corps due to influences of political correctness and secular humanism. “Chaplains have been minimized, viewed by many as therapists instead of ministers,” he said. “Faith and virtue were traded for self-help and self-care.”

Hegseth traced the corps’ proud history back to its origins in 1775, when General George Washington established it as one of his first acts as commander of the Continental Army. Washington recognized the vital need for “the blessing and protection of heaven… especially in times of public distress and danger,” Hegseth noted.

For nearly 250 years, chaplains have served as the “spiritual and moral backbone” of America’s fighting forces, ministering to service members’ souls during hardship.

Yet, in recent years, Hegseth argued, this sacred role has been degraded amid an “ongoing war on warriors.” As an immediate step, he signed a directive eliminating the U.S. Army’s Spiritual Fitness Guide, a 112-page document released earlier this year that mentions “God” only once while emphasizing concepts like “feelings” (11 times) and “playfulness” (9 times). Hegseth called the guide “unacceptable and unserious,” accusing it of promoting “New Age notions” and secular humanism that alienate religious service members.

“These types of training materials have no place in the War Department,” Hegseth declared. “Our chaplains are chaplains, not emotional support officers—and we’re going to treat them as such.”

Additional reforms are on the horizon, including streamlining the Pentagon’s faith and belief coding system, which currently includes over 200 categories despite most troops identifying with just a handful of major traditions. This will enable chaplains to “minister better to the flock,” he explained. Hegseth promised a “top-down cultural shift” elevating spiritual well-being alongside physical and mental health, restoring chaplains as “moral anchors” for the force.

Quoting a 1956 Army Chaplain’s manual, Hegseth emphasized: “The chaplain is the pastor and the shepherd of the souls entrusted to his care.” He described chaplaincy as a “high and sacred calling,” stressing that it requires giving shepherds “the freedom to boldly guide and care for their flock.”

The announcement has been met with widespread praise from Christian leaders and military faith groups. Evangelist Franklin Graham thanked Hegseth on social media, while organizations like the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and First Liberty Institute hailed the moves as a vital protection of religious freedom for service members.

As America faces new challenges abroad and at home, Secretary Hegseth’s initiative signals a return to the timeless truths that have sustained our warriors: faith in God, moral clarity, and spiritual resilience.

This revival of the Chaplain Corps stands as a beacon of hope, reaffirming that a strong military is built not just on weapons and strategy, but on the unshakeable foundation of divine providence and virtue. Stay tuned as more reforms unfold in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your support.

If you appreciate the work we do to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, please consider giving a gift to help us continue this work. Maranatha!