Naveed
Pete Hegseth’s faith isn’t the generic evangelicalism most people assume from a Fox News-turned-Pentagon figure. He belongs to a specific, small, and increasingly scrutinized denomination — the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) — whose theology has drawn national attention since he became Defense Secretary.
| Religion | Christian – Reformed evangelical |
| Denomination | Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) |
| Church | Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, near Nashville, TN |
| Raised | Baptist, later megachurch (Eagle Brook Church, Minnesota) |
| Role | U.S. Secretary of Defense |
From Baptist Sunday School to a Minnesota Megachurch
Hegseth grew up in a devout household outside Minneapolis where his family prayed together every night. He was baptized as a middle schooler, attended Sunday school, and went to Christian basketball camps in the summer. The small Baptist congregation his family belonged to later transformed into Eagle Brook Church, which by the mid-1990s had grown into one of Minnesota’s largest megachurches — a very different environment from the reformed, high-liturgy church he attends today.
What the CREC Actually Teaches
As an adult, Hegseth moved toward a more theologically conservative and liturgical tradition, joining the CREC — a denomination shaped in part by 20th-century Christian Reconstructionism. CREC churches hold to biblical inerrancy, emphasize Christian homeschooling, and teach a complementarian view of marriage and gender roles. His own congregation, Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship near Nashville, is part of a recent wave of new CREC churches.
Faith on Display at the Pentagon
Since taking office, Hegseth has brought his faith visibly into his public role, including leading a Christian prayer service at the Pentagon — a move that drew both praise from supporters and criticism over the separation of church and state in a government institution serving Americans of every faith and none.
The “Christian Nationalism” Debate
Because of the CREC’s reconstructionist roots and Hegseth’s own rhetoric about America’s Christian founding, journalists and religion scholars have described him as part of a broader Christian nationalist movement gaining influence in Washington. Hegseth has pushed back on characterizations of his faith as extreme, framing it instead as a return to traditional, biblically grounded Christianity.
FAQs
Is Pete Hegseth Catholic or Protestant?
Protestant. He was raised Baptist and later attended a nondenominational megachurch before joining the CREC, a Reformed Protestant denomination.
What is the CREC that Pete Hegseth belongs to?
The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches is a small, theologically conservative Reformed Protestant denomination known for its high-liturgy worship, biblical inerrancy, homeschooling culture, and ties to the Christian Reconstructionist movement.
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About the Author
Naveed is a Software and AI engineer based in Pakistan and the founder of whatreligionisinfo.com. Articles are researched from published interviews, news coverage, and public statements, with sources cited throughout.
