| For Immediate Release Date: Saturday, June 6, 2026 Columbia, S.C.—This week media sources revealed that the U.S. Department of Defense has removed around 180 recognized religious faiths and belief systems from its list of faith codes. The excuse given by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was that this would “streamline” the department’s “collection of religious preferences to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy.” (1) Cherry Hill Seminary strenuously objects to this action. For more than 20 years Cherry Hill Seminary has served hundreds of individuals exploring their spirituality and training to provide professional and compassionate spiritual support to others. More than a few of these have been individuals wishing to serve as a U.S. military chaplain. The Seminary is grounded in Pagan and earth-based spiritualities but requires courses in world religions and interfaith leadership in order to prepare our graduates for a multicultural world. Chaplaincy requires someone of any or no religion to be able to attend the needs of all the personnel in their care. But part of that training is to know when to bring in another chaplain who shares the religion of the individual. For example, a Muslim or Pagan chaplain will not serve communion to a Christian soldier but will ensure that soldier has appropriate access to sacraments. We are concerned that military personnel who must choose from this narrow approved list will fall through the cracks of service. Spiritual needs are heightened and intensified during the rigors of military training and deployment, and even more so by the trauma of combat. To impose these restrictive definitions sends a clear message that the 180 religious paths eliminated are no longer important enough to serve in the armed forces. It is hard to miss the steady forward movement of the ultra-conservative Project 2025 plan, which claims to “strengthen protections for chaplains to carry out their ministry according to the tenets of their faith,” while at the same time calling to “eliminate . . . newly established diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and staff.” (2) Such statements strike us as un-American. The new list creates dividing lines between recognized and invisible religions, effectively, if not explicitly, disrupting the unity on which strong military defense relies. We call on the U.S. Department of Defense to discard this recent list in order to provide spiritual care for all of those who serve in the defense of our country. (1) As reported by Military.com on June 4, 2026 (2) Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project, pp. 103-104 Cherry Hill Seminary is the leading provider of education and practical training in leadership, ministry, and personal growth in Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities, by providing transformative education and empowering students to advance academically and lead spiritually.. https://cherryhillseminary.org/ Media contact for more information: chs@cherryhillseminary.org or 1-803-862-9088. |
