In one of the most significant moves to protect religious freedom in the federal workplace in decades, the Trump administration has officially confirmed that federal workers across the United States are fully permitted to display Bibles, crosses, and other religious items at their desks, pray together, invite coworkers to church, and openly share their Christian faith — all without fear of reprisal or disciplinary action.
The Memo That Changed Everything
On July 28, 2025, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor issued a sweeping government-wide memorandum titled “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace,” sending it to the heads of every federal department and agency across the country. The memo makes clear that agencies must protect and enforce each federal employee’s right to engage in religious expression to the greatest extent possible.
“Federal employees should never have to choose between their faith and their career,” Kupor stated. “This guidance ensures the federal workplace is not just compliant with the law but welcoming to Americans of all faiths. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are restoring constitutional freedoms and making government a place where people of faith are respected, not sidelined.”
What Federal Employees Can Now Do
The memorandum outlines specific examples of fully protected religious expression in the federal workplace, including:
- Keeping a Bible, rosary beads, crucifix, cross, Star of David, or other religious items on their desk
- Reading the Bible during breaks
- Wearing a cross or clothing displaying a religious message
- Forming prayer groups with coworkers during non-duty hours
- Inviting coworkers to church or worship services
- Engaging in respectful conversations about faith, including sharing why they believe their faith is true
- Praying with or over members of the public, such as a doctor at a VA hospital praying over a patient or a park ranger joining a tour group in prayer
The memo is explicit: agencies may not single out religious posters, such as those displaying a crucifix, a Bible verse, or a Star of David, for stricter treatment than other types of workplace displays.
The Bigger Picture: A White House Committed to Faith
This memorandum does not stand alone. It is part of a broader, deliberate effort by the Trump administration to dismantle what it describes as systematic anti-Christian bias within the federal government.
In February 2025, President Trump signed an executive order specifically aimed at eradicating anti-Christian bias, calling on administration officials to identify, end, and rectify any unlawful policies or practices targeting Christians. The order accused the previous administration of engaging in a pattern of targeting peaceful Christians while ignoring anti-Christian offenses.
In May 2025, Trump established a Religious Liberty Commission and signed an executive order creating a White House Faith Office — formal structures designed to ensure faith remains a protected and celebrated part of American public life.
At a National Prayer Breakfast, Trump was direct: “We’re bringing religion back to our country.”
Why This Matters
For years, many Christian federal employees have felt pressure to keep their faith private — removing personal items from desks, avoiding conversations about Scripture, or declining to pray openly out of fear of creating a hostile work environment complaint. This new guidance fundamentally reverses that culture.
The memo draws on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits religious discrimination in employment, as well as the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Groff v. DeJoy, which strengthened employer obligations to accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs.
OPM Director Kupor framed the memo not as a new policy but as a restoration of constitutional freedoms that should never have been eroded. “The Constitution robustly protects expressions of religious faith by all Americans — including federal employees,” he wrote.
A Nation Turning Back
The memorandum arrives at a moment when the broader cultural conversation about faith in public life is intensifying. With the Rededicate 250 National Jubilee of Prayer planned for the National Mall, the Ten Commandments now displayed in Texas public school classrooms, and a growing revival movement sweeping college campuses across the country, the federal workplace guidance feels less like an isolated policy shift and more like a reflection of a nation in the midst of a genuine spiritual turning.
For the millions of Americans who serve their country in federal roles and have long prayed quietly, kept their Bibles in their bags, and worshipped in private — the message from Washington is now unmistakably clear.
You no longer have to hide.