Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

September 2020 – Within one day of AFA issuing an email alert asking its supporters to contact President Donald Trump, the U.S. Navy backtracked its June 24 directive that specifically banned Christian service members, including chaplains, from attending “indoor religious services.”

Following the alert, Trump received more than 41,471 emails from AFA supporters, urging him to order the Navy to rescind any portion of the directive that violated the religious liberties of military personnel.

In response, Acting Under Secretary of the Navy Greg Slavonic issued a memo to “clarify” that the June policy should not “be construed to restrict attendance at places of worship where attendees are able to appropriately apply COVID-19 transmission mitigation measures, specifically social distancing and use of face covering.”

The Navy backed down from its unlawful religious discrimination policy. This is a major victory for Christians in the military.

“I firmly believe AFA supporters played a part in this reversal because of those who took time to get involved and send an email to the president,” said AFA president Tim Wildmon. “AFA will continue to stand for righteousness and against those who want to take away our religious freedoms.”