Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s public messaging on the Iran war has drawn directly from sermons delivered at his church, Christ Kirk DC, a branch of the openly Christian nationalist Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). During a 17 April press briefing, Hegseth recounted sitting in church the previous Sunday, where the minister preached from Mark 3. He then recast the passage about Pharisees watching Jesus “so that they might accuse him” as a criticism of the US press corps, accusing the “legacy Trump-hating press” of politically motivated animus that blinds them to the brilliance of American warriors.
Sermon Content and CREC Influence
The 12 April sermon, titled “The Fellowship of Grievance,” was delivered by Dr Benjamin Merkle, president of CREC-aligned New Saint Andrews College and son-in-law of CREC co-founder Douglas Wilson. In the sermon, Merkle urged worshippers to embrace a “biblically informed hatred,” stating that Christians are united not only by love but by shared hatred of evil. He criticized the left’s unity in attacking the right and said that when opponents “all hate the same thing, it forms a temporary unity.”
Merkle told the Guardian he had not listened to Hegseth’s press conference but acknowledged that Hegseth’s application of the sermon could be appropriate. However, he refused to confirm Hegseth’s attendance at the service, as did the Pentagon.
Theocratic Goals and Legal Stances
Other CREC sermons and podcasts reveal a theocratic program that would restrict voting, criminalize LGBTQ+ expression, and enforce biblical law through courts. Wilson, when asked if he was a Christian nationalist, replied, “Yes, that would be a fair description.” Merkle defended his stance on abortion and homosexuality, saying both are evil and that he wants to see abortion “eradicated.” On LGBTQ+ issues, he stated that God made a woman for a man and that acceptance of homosexuality does great harm.
Julie Ingersoll, a religious studies professor, noted that CREC’s motto “All of Christ for All of Life” means no area of life is free from God’s law, rejecting separation of church and state. Wilson has previously taught that civil authorities should enforce Old Testament law, including the death penalty for homosexuality and abortion.
Hegseth’s Platform for CREC Pastors
Hegseth has given CREC pastors a platform in Pentagon worship services. Brooks Potteiger, his pastor from Tennessee, presided over the first monthly Pentagon service in May 2025 and returned in January 2026. Potteiger will become the on-site pastor of Christ Kirk DC starting July. On a podcast, Potteiger responded to a host’s wish that God kill a Democratic candidate by saying, “We want him crucified with Christ,” which he later explained as a desire for the candidate’s conversion.
Wilson himself presided over a Pentagon service on 17 February, 11 days before the US joined Israel in attacking Iran. He told personnel, “God can do what he likes… take the most unlikely materials and do something glorious.”
Hegseth’s Christian Nationalist Rhetoric
Hegseth’s public statements have increasingly adopted Christian nationalist language. On 5 March, he called the US a “Christian nation under God.” On 19 March, he asked Americans to pray for troops “in the name of Jesus Christ.” On 25 March, he read Psalm 18 and prayed that God would “break the teeth” of enemies. On 16 April, he offered a garbled passage of Ezekiel filtered through the film Pulp Fiction.
In a 2024 podcast, Hegseth said moving his family to a CREC church had changed his worldview. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that Hegseth appreciates Wilson’s writings and teachings.
Heidi Beirich of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism warned that Hegseth’s infusion of Christian beliefs into national security policy is dangerous, calling it “fanatical holy war fantasies.” She added that his alignment with extreme Christian nationalists should give everyone pause.
