Controversial Pastor Doug Wilson preaches at the Pentagon

Pastor Doug Wilson, who has courted controversy for his views on Christian nationalism and other topics, preached inside the Pentagon on Tuesday. He delivered a 15-minute message at the Department of Defense’s monthly service, the department said on social media. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth invited the pastor to speak, Wilson noted in his remarks. Wilson is the co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches and serves as the lead pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. Hegseth previously confirmed that he is a member of a Washington, D.C., church affiliated with the denomination co-founded by Wilson and has regularly appreciated the pastor’s teachings.

What did Wilson preach during Tuesday’s service? The pastor emphasized that God offers protection and that the greatest armor one can carry is the name of Jesus Christ. Wilson also encouraged that God can take unlikely materials and do glorious things with them. He said God could even use his words at the Pentagon to achieve this.

Hegseth later joined Wilson on stage and thanked him for the message. Hegseth added that the monthly worship services were started to help recognize who is sovereignly leading at the wheel. He urged that everyone needs the grace of God.

How long have these monthly worship services been held? Hegseth started the monthly services in May 2025. Some of the other guest speakers have included Franklin Graham and former NFL player Jack Brewer. A handful of members of the military have complained to Military.com and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that the services only cater to one religion.

Why is Wilson controversial? He has been accused of plagiarizing some of his books, officiating the wedding of a convicted pedophile, and defending slavery. Wilson has vigorously defended himself in those controversies. For instance, Wilson stated that years before conducting the wedding, he encouraged victims’ families to report the crimes to police and counseled the pedophile to confess to crimes that were previously undetected.

More recently, a CNN segment criticized Wilson’s church for its policy prohibiting women from holding leadership positions and of viewing the family, rather than the individual, as the foundational unit of a thriving human society. In the segment, pastors at Wilson’s church argued against voting rights for women.  In response, Wilson tried to unpack his views on women voting, saying that in his church, heads of households—men or female family leaders such as widows—cast votes for church leaders. Hegseth later shared the CNN clip with the caption, “All of Christ for All of Life.”

Dig deeper: Listen to Hunter Baker’s interview with Wilson on the pastor’s rise and controversies.