The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has confirmed that chaplains are allowed to deliver sermons with explicitly Christian content at affiliated medical facilities and has rescinded a reprimand issued to a chaplain last year.
In a letter made public recently, VA Secretary Doug Collins stated, “there is no national or local policy or standard operating procedure which inhibits Chaplain sermons. To the extent that there have been any proposed changes to any existing policy, those proposals will not move forward and have been rescinded.”
Collins, who is a military chaplain, emphasized that the “VA reiterates 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.”
He asserted that the “VA will take all steps necessary to avoid any future inconsistent actions” and expressed his hope that “these measures will adequately resolve the matter.”
The letter was directed to Hiram Sasser from the First Liberty Institute, a conservative legal organization representing Russell Trubey, a chaplain who was punished for delivering a Christian sermon at the Coatesville VA Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
According to the First Liberty Institute, Trubey’s sermon, which took place during a worship service in June 2024, focused on the New Testament book of Romans. Following the service, a VA police officer informed him that complaints had been made regarding his sermon. Trubey was subsequently removed from his duties and threatened with a report on his permanent record.
While the proposed punishment was rescinded, Trubey’s supervisor attempted to implement a sermon review process and impose restrictions on the topics that VA chaplains could address in their sermons. On February 11, the First Liberty Institute sent a letter to the VA regarding the situation, prompting Collins to clarify in his response that there were no restrictions on chaplain speech.
Collins wrote, “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Trubey on November 21, 2024, the determination to release that document to Chaplain Trubey was made in error and was rescinded once staff were counseled regarding the complexities of the applicable laws.”
