Protestant Historical Institute of the Society of Jesus

Hegseth hosts first meeting of what he says will be a monthly Christian prayer service at Pentagon By Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky, CNN  5 minute read  Updated 5:29 PM EDT, Wed May 21, 2025  —  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosted a Christian prayer service on Wednesday at the Pentagon for employees that included a sermon by his hometown pastor who said President Donald Trump had been “sovereignly appointed.” The service, which Hegseth told the audience would be a monthly event, was held in the Pentagon auditorium and broadcast live on the department’s internal TV network. Current and former defense officials told CNN it was highly unusual for the secretary to host a religious event during the workday for a particular religion. “This is precisely where I need to be, exactly where we need to be as a nation at this moment, in prayer, on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Hegseth said in opening remarks at the servic...