MRFF Condemns Hegseth’s Latest Pentagon Christian Worship Service with Pastor Who Says Women Shouldn’t Vote or be in Leadership Roles

Wednesday Afternoon, February 18, 2026

MRFF CONDEMNS HEGSETH’S LATEST

PENTAGON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP SERVICE

WITH PERSONAL PASTOR WHO SAYS WOMEN

SHOULDN’T VOTE OR BE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES

In a CNN interview last August, Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson proclaimed, among other outrageously misogynistic things, that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote or serve in combat or leadership roles in the military.

According to Wilson, whose church teaches that

women should be submissive to their husbands:

“Women are the kind of people that people come out of.”

Wilson also stuck to his prior comments about slavery, claiming that there was a mutual affection between slaves and their masters and that the only problem with slavery in America was that it was “an unbiblical system.”

Wilson also believes that being gay should be illegal.

Hegseth, who previously praised Wilson and attended his Washington, D.C. church, retweeted the interview, promoting Wilson’s trifecta of misogyny, racism, and homophobia with the added comment: “All of Christ for All of Life.”

Yesterday, Hegseth gave Wilson a platform for his vile version of hate-filled pseudo-Christianity at the Pentagon itself, having him preach at the “SECWAR’s Prayer Service”

MRFF Founder and President Mikey Weinstein responds to Hegseth’s latest appalling Pentagon Christian worship service with his misogynistic, racist, and homophobic pastor Douglas Wilson

Still image of Mikey Weinstein from video

Click to watch (2:34) video on YouTube

THE AFTER-ACTION REPORT

COVERS MRFF

Hegseth Brings Christian Nationalist Pastor to Pentagon to Pray for “Black Swan” Christian Revival

By: Seth Hettena

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

From the article (emphasis added):

“Mikey Weinstein, a former Air Force JAG, founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation two decades ago and has since represented more than 100,000 service members, roughly 95 percent of them Christians. (About 70 percent of the Armed Forces identify as Christian, according to a 2019 Congressional Research Service report.) Weinstein has spent those two decades fighting what he calls the encroachment of Christian nationalism into the military, and he says complaints have been mounting.

“After the invitation for Tuesday’s service circulated, his organization received more than 50 emails and phone calls in a single day from concerned contractors and service members, the fastest influx of complaints in the organization’s history, he said.

“Weinstein said one person told him their section chief—a Senior Executive Service-level civilian—framed the invitation this way: ‘Look, the boss wants it. You don’t have to be a Christian. Why don’t you give it a try?’”

Click to read on The After-Action Report

“Doug Wilson - Pentagon Prayer Service”

From: (name withheld)

Date: February 18, 2026 at 11:45:11 AM MST

To: i nfo@militaryreligiousfreedom.org

Subject: Doug Wilson - Pentagon Prayer Service

Good morning, Mr. Weinstein and MRFF leaders,

I am aware that you have already received an influx of e-mails and calls about the Pentagon prayer service that took place yesterday (2/17). I would like to add my voice to your list of complaints that you have received.

I am active duty and NOT stationed at the Pentagon. However, I have been following the SECWAR’s monthly prayer service since it started and also did research on his denomination, CREC, as soon as he was nominated for the position. When the monthly prayer services started, I knew this day would come that Doug Wilson would be invited to lead, and that day has come. I'm sure you are aware of his highly controversial beliefs and statements. His presence is an offense to women and black people.

My concern is SECWAR’s abuse of his position and authority to endorse his specific denomination of Christianity. It also brings up questions like, “Can I as a leader reserve a room or auditorium at my unit and bring in the Wiccan Priestess from my local Wiccan temple to lead a prayer service? Or is only SECWAR able to do this? Or only Christians?”

We have a wonderful Chaplain Corps that servicemembers have at their disposal for chapels, services, prayer, study, etc. The SECWAR’s pastor(s) are not part of the Chaplain Corps and have no right or authority to preach in DoD spaces.

I am sure you have these same questions and concerns and I know you are doing the hard work right now to raise awareness. Please add my complaint to your tally! Thank you!

Best Regards,

(name withheld)

Click to read in Inbox

BACKGROUND – THE CNN INTERVIEW

CNN

INTERVIEWS CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST

PASTOR DOUGLAS WILSON

The Christian nationalist pastor with

ties to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Video description from CNN: Self-described Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson is part of an ascendent group of Christian religious leaders finding influence among MAGA conservatives. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is Wilson’s most prominent and public follower in the Trump administration. CNN's Pamela Brown reports from Moscow, Idaho where Wilson's Christ Church is based.