A Wired investigation published April 14, 2026 documents a systematic pattern of Christianity being pushed on federal workers across multiple civilian agencies — from mandatory-feeling prayer services to agency-wide religious emails to an official OPM policy permitting workplace proselytizing.
At the USDA, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent an Easter email titled “He has risen!” to all ~100,000 employees, calling the story of Jesus “the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind.” Union president Ethan Roberts filed a formal complaint with the Office of Special Counsel. The Freedom From Religion Foundation received complaints from nearly 30 USDA employees.
At the Department of Labor, a faith center director hosts monthly worship services described as “very explicitly Christian.” In January, Alveda King (MLK's niece and USDA senior adviser on faith) told DOL employees: “We have different denominations, different faiths, and some have no faith — and those are the ones I would be more concerned about.” At the SBA, workers were invited to a “Faith and Fellowship Prayer Service” with instructions not to share the invitation outside the agency.
The policy backbone: a July 2025 OPM memo titled “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace” officially permits federal employees to proselytize coworkers, attempt to persuade colleagues their faith is “correct,” and “encourage” them to participate in prayer. This built on Trump's February 2025 executive order establishing the White House Faith Office (led by Paula White-Cain) and faith offices across all agencies.
Only 22.5% of federal workers believed they could report wrongdoing without retaliation in 2025 — down from 71.9% in 2024.