Use the link below to download the full, four-page PDF for Oct/Nov 2026,
or read the main story below. Version française a venir.
The EFC is asking the government to cancel a new policy for military chaplains and replace it with one that’s more inclusive.
Released this summer, the Spiritual Reflections in Military Settings policy forbids military chaplains from praying or even mentioning God in public spiritual reflections. It applies to any public speaking that chaplains do in their capacity as Canadian Armed Forces members.
That includes Remembrance Day ceremonies (even though they are typically hosted by the Legion, a non-governmental organization), events sponsored by the government and events where CAF members are expected to attend.
Previously chaplains could provide a spiritual reflection or a nondenominational prayer. They were required to first acknowledge that members of the audience likely hold diverse beliefs, including religious and nonreligious convictions.
In 2023 the policy changed to prohibit any prayer. As of this summer, even a mention of God or the divine is banned.
Chaplains will still be able to hold religious services in base chapels or spaces set aside for religious services. Prayers can still be offered at military funerals. They can still provide pastoral care to CAF personnel and their families.
The new policy says it’s a guide to ensure freedom of religion. It declares secular spiritual reflections (which don’t mention God) are the best way to remain religiously neutral and avoid showing favouritism among faith traditions.
But this very assertion aligns with one tradition – humanism, a life stance that functions without a belief in God or the supernatural. The military already as humanist chaplains, and humanism is recognized as one of the spiritual and faith traditions served by the Royal Canadian Chaplaincy Service. It is one belief system among many.
The new policy is not open to all points of view. It is exclusive by design and prohibits the expression of some religious beliefs in public reflections, like those that express belief in God.
“I’ve spent 30 years writing and speaking into issues of religious freedom and expression in Canada,” says Bruce J. Clemenger, EFC senior ambassador and member of the Interfaith Committee for Canadian Military Chaplaincy, “and this new military policy is as frustrating as it is controversial. It’s another step in the secularization of Canada under the veil of a supposed religious neutrality, presumed to be good for our national identity and sense of belonging.”
Forbidding even a reference to God or the divine in spiritual reflections is not an expression of inclusive neutrality. An inclusive neutrality is one that shows openness to a diversity of spiritual and faith traditions.
A more inclusive approach would be to allow for both prayer and spiritual reflection. This approach could include a preamble acknowledging that members of the audience hold diverse beliefs – including religious and non-religious convictions. Prayer and spiritual reflection could be offered rotationally by chaplains representing various spiritual and faith traditions.
State neutrality is a concept used to explain what is required by governments to protect religious freedom and ensure they don’t play favourites or privilege one view over others. This is how the role of government was understood historically in Canada, and it is vital to reclaim.
Rather than supporting the spiritual health of all Canadian Armed Forces members, the new policy diminishes the full participation of chaplains and prohibits the recognition of the plurality of beliefs of CAF members.
The EFC is asking for a better chaplaincy policy that recognizes and makes room for all in the expression of belief in spiritual reflections, a principled accommodation of the diverse beliefs of Canadians, including those who believe in God.
What you can do
- Pray for Canadian Armed Forces members, including the chaplains who support them.
- Ask the Minister of National Defence to change the policy on spiritual reflections in a military setting to one that makes room for the diverse beliefs of Canadians, including those who believe in God. Send a copy to your MP. See TheEFC.ca/CAFreflection for more information.
- Consider supporting the work of the EFC so we can continue to monitor and intervene on such issues.
Also in this issue: Encouraging Christians to intercede for persecuted believers; A note from EFC Vice-President Rick Hiemstra; Updating you on Canada’s most immediate issues; Harvest ruling positive for Christian ministries; Cultivating a culture of Kingdom prayer.