WASHINGTON – This Sunday, President Donald Trump and key administration officials will participate in a prayer event at the National Mall in Washington alongside predominantly conservative Christian religious leaders. The gathering, titled Rededicate 250, aims to serve as a “rededication of our country as One Nation Under God” in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
The all-day event is coordinated by Freedom 250, a nonprofit organization. According to their website, the group operates as a public-private partnership “leading the presidential programming for America’s 250th anniversary,” building toward the Declaration of Independence anniversary on July 4.
Event planners anticipate thousands will attend Rededicate 250, which features worship music, prayers and addresses from Cabinet members and other Republican leaders, alongside religious figures and additional speakers. Mr. Trump and some participants will deliver remarks via video, while others will appear in person. Among the confirmed speakers are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
“Our founders knew two simple truths,” Hegseth stated in a promotional video for the gathering that showcases various Cabinet secretaries.
“Our rights don’t come from government, they come from God. And a nation is only as strong as its faith,” Hegseth continued, whose incorporation of Christian language to support U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran and in other official capacities has faced criticism.
A second promotional video for Rededicate 250 combines Christian and American symbols — images of a cross placed on an American flag, a choir in robes, worshippers with raised hands — alongside a brief shot of a man in prayer wearing a Jewish skullcap. The voices of well-known preachers can be heard, with one declaring, “Faith in God is the value that most shaped America.”
The religious speakers at Rededicate 250 include multiple longtime Christian allies of Trump, such as evangelist Franklin Graham and pastors Paula White-Cain, who leads the White House Faith Office; Robert Jeffress; and Samuel Rodriguez. The lineup also features Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron and Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, the sole faith leader representing a non-Christian religion.
The musical performers include Grammy-winning contemporary Christian artist Chris Tomlin.
Several key participants describe Rededicate 250 as a Christian event.
“I believe it’s a moment when the Body of Christ, the church, comes together and will boldly declare that America still needs God,” Georgia pastor Jentezen Franklin said in a social media video shared on X. “This is an opportunity for believers to stand together as one nation under God. … I’m honored that they’ve asked me to speak and share the Gospel.”
Johnson highlighted that the gathering coincides with the 250th anniversary of Congress designating May 17, 1776, as a “day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer” for the Revolutionary cause.
The Rededicate 250 gathering runs parallel to other White House efforts targeting President Trump’s devoted base of conservative Christians, especially white evangelical Protestants.
Multiple participants — including Graham, White-Cain, Dolan, Barron and Soloveichik — also sit on the Religious Liberty Commission. This group is developing a report based on its findings following a year of hearings.
Various Rededicate 250 participants also joined Mr. Trump in a Bible-reading marathon.
Additionally, a distinct Trump administration task force recently claimed discrimination against Christians during Democratic President Joe Biden’s tenure.
The report cited such bias in substantial penalties levied against two Christian institutions — Grand Canyon University for allegedly misleading thousands of students about program expenses, a ruling later overturned, and Liberty University regarding its management of crime data and sexual assault incidents. Choirs from both universities are performing at Rededicate 250.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Center study, six out of 10 U.S. adults, and eight out of 10 white evangelical Christians, believed the nation’s founders originally envisioned America as a Christian nation.
