The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has confirmed that chaplains can preach sermons with obviously Christian content at affiliated medical facilities and has rescinded a letter of reprimand after a chaplain was punished last year.Â
In a letter written in late February but recently made public, VA Secretary Doug Collins said “there is no national or local policy or standard operating procedure which inhibits Chaplain sermons.”Â
“To the extent that there have been any proposed changes to any existing policy, those proposals will not move forward and have been rescinded,” wrote Collins.
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“VA reiterates again its commitment to upholding and enforcing the constitutional and statutory protections afforded to Chaplains when providing spiritual guidance in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.”
Collins, a military chaplain in his own right, is a former Baptist pastor and member of Congress appointed to the position by President Donald Trump. He vowed that the “VA will take all steps necessary to avoid any future inconsistent actions,” and it is his “hope that these measures adequately resolve this matter.”
The letter was sent to Hiram Sasser of the First Liberty Institute, a conservative legal organization representing Russell Trubey, a chaplain punished for delivering a Christian sermon at the Coatesville VA Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
According to FLI, Trubey delivered a sermon at a worship service held at the Coatesville facility in June 2024 that was centered on the New Testament book of Romans.
After the service, a VA police officer claimed that complaints were made about his sermon. Trubey was later removed from duties and threatened with a report on his permanent record.
Although the proposed punishment was rescinded, Trubey’s supervisor tried implementing a sermon review process and limiting the topics on which VA chaplains could preach.
On Feb. 11, FLI sent a letter to the VA Department regarding the situation, with Collins writing his response clarifying that there were no speech restrictions for VA chaplains.
“With respect to the Letter of Reprimand issued to Chaplain Trubey on November 21, 2024, the determination to release that document to Chaplain Trubey was made in error and was rescinded once staff were counseled regarding the complexities of the applicable laws,” Collins wrote.Â
In a statement released Thursday, FLI Associate Counsel Erin Smith said that she was “thrilled” by the response from the department, seeing it as a victory for religious freedom.
“Secretary Collins made it clear that the government has no business censoring anyone’s sermon, including military chaplains,” stated Smith.
“We are thrilled that Chaplain Trubey and his colleagues will no longer face the possibility of censorship or punishment for simply speaking according to their faith. We thank Secretary Collins for his protection of religious liberty.”
