US Evangelist Graham Welcomes Trump’s Faith Move In Federal Agencies

August 8, 2025

WASHINGTON — American evangelist Franklin Graham has welcomed a sweeping decision by the Trump administration to allow federal employees to openly express their faith while at work, marking what supporters describe as one of the most significant changes to federal workplace policies in decades.

Federal agencies are now required to protect religious expression in the workplace, marking one of the most sweeping moves in decades to defend faith and freedoms in the civil service.

“For all the never-Trumper, so-called evangelicals, President Donald J. Trump has just scored another victory for religious freedom for all people of faith,” Graham stated Thursday in response to the new guidance.

Comprehensive New Guidelines

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent guidance to federal agencies across the Trump administration in late July, detailing requirements that ensure federal workers can display religious items, engage in group prayer, and discuss their beliefs without fear of reprisal.

The guidance, from OPM Director Scott Kupor, declares that federal agencies “should allow personal religious expression by Federal employees to the greatest extent possible unless such expression would impose an undue hardship on business operations.”

Under the new memo titled “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace,” federal employees can now:

Display and use religious items or icons at their desk, such as a Bible, rosary beads, or tefillin
Form a prayer group and gather for prayer or scripture study in the workplace, so long as they’re not on duty at the time
Invite co-workers who belong to other religions to their church or put up invitations to Easter services on communal bulletin boards
Engage in conversations on religious topics “including attempting to persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views”

Broad Workplace Applications

The policy extends beyond traditional office settings to include public-facing federal positions. Rangers in the National Park Service leading a public tour can join the group in prayer, OPM said, and a Veterans Affairs Department doctor may pray over a patient.

“Federal employees should never have to choose between their faith and their career,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said. “This guidance ensures the federal workplace is not just compliant with the law but welcoming to Americans of all faiths.”

Constitutional Foundation

The memo emphasizes that the changes are grounded in constitutional protections and existing federal law. Kupor noted in the guidance that freedom of religious expression is protected by the First Amendment and federal statutes that “prohibit the federal government from discriminating in employment based on religion or religious expression.”

“This memorandum provides guidance to agencies on robustly protecting and enforcing each Federal employee’s right to engage in religious expression in the Federal workplace consistent with the U.S. Constitution, Title VII, and other applicable sources of law,” Kupor wrote.

The directive requires agencies to review and potentially revise their internal policies to ensure they appropriately protect religious expression.

White House Faith Initiative Expansion

The religious expression guidance builds upon President Trump’s broader faith-focused initiatives. Earlier this year, Trump established the White House Faith Office and appointed 13 members to the Religious Liberty Commission, including Franklin Graham.

“It is a privilege to be asked to serve,” Franklin Graham said regarding his commission appointment. “Religious freedom is a founding principle of our nation and remains as vitally important today as it was when our forefathers set” forth the nation’s founding documents.

Paula White-Cain, a longtime pastor and advisor to President Trump, serves as a Special Government Employee and Senior Advisor in the faith office, alongside Jennifer Korn, who also worked in the first Trump administration. The office aims to empower faith-based groups, address religious bias, and promote religious freedom.

Broader Context and Response

The policy represents a significant shift from previous federal workplace guidelines and has generated considerable attention across religious and secular communities. Federal employees can talk about religion at work, including by encouraging coworkers to “re-think” their own beliefs, according to the memo released Monday by the Office of Personnel Management.

Graham, who has maintained close ties with the White House throughout Trump’s presidency, expressed gratitude for the administration’s actions. “Last week a memo notified federal employees that they could display their Bibles on their desks, speak about their beliefs, invite colleagues to church, or pray in groups while off duty without fear of reprisal. Thank you, President Trump!” he added.

The guidance comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader emphasis on protecting religious liberty, which has been a cornerstone of the president’s policy agenda since taking office in January 2025.