VA Rescinds Chaplain’s Punishment, Confirms Freedom for Christian Sermons
April 7, 2025
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has rescinded a reprimand issued to a chaplain last year and confirmed that chaplains may deliver explicitly Christian sermons at affiliated medical facilities.
Christianity Daily reports that VA Secretary Doug Collins sent a letter detailing the agency’s actions to the First Liberty Institute, a conservative legal organization which represented a chaplain who was punished for delivering a Christian sermon at the Coatesville VA Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
According to the First Liberty Institute, chaplain Russell Trubey had given a sermon in June 2024 which focused on the New Testament book of Romans.
Following that sermon, a VA police officer informed Trubey that complaints had been lodged against him and Trubey was subsequently relieved of his duties and threatened with a report on his official record.
According to Christianity Daily, while the threatened punishment was rescinded, Trubey’s supervisor sought to implement a sermon review process to restrict which topics chaplains could address in their sermons.
In his letter, Sec. Collins stated: “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Trubey on November 21, 2024, the determination to release that document to Chaplain Trubey was made in error and was rescinded once staff were counseled regarding the complexities of the applicable laws.”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 went on to say, “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that there have been any proposed changes to any existing policy, those proposals will not move forward and have been rescinded.”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, added, “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.
Photo: top, Credit: Screenshot: YouTube/U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs