Thousands of believers gathered in the nation’s capital on Sunday for an all-day prayer and worship service honoring America’s Christian heritage ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary.
The event — Rededicate 250, part of the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 initiative — featured a host of political, Catholic, and evangelical leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary Pete Hegseth, Bishop Robert Barron, and Franklin Graham, who did not hold back in condemning what he described as America’s moral decline.
“People have become lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God,” Graham said, painting a dire picture of the country’s biblical literacy. “America has become morally rotten, completely sick with sin, transgenderism, same-sex marriage, opening women’s locker rooms to men are just the tip of the iceberg.”
In a recorded address, Trump struck a similar tone, reading a passage from 2 Chronicles that calls for repentance and urges people to turn from their wicked ways.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., thousands braved 80-degree heat and waited in hour-long lines that stretched for blocks to call on their fellow Americans to repent and join each other in prayer and worship.
Large crowd waiting in line for Rededication 250 event pic.twitter.com/eJCZwAM5Ft
— Jacob Wheeler (@JWheelertv) May 17, 2026
Grammy-winning Christian artist Chris Tomlin performed “Holy Forever” to the crowd of thousands on their feet.
HOLY FOREVER
“Your name is the highest
Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
All thrones and dominions
All powers and positions
Your name stands above them all”@christomlin pic.twitter.com/7ie11Vtn9z— Real America’s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) May 17, 2026
In front of a crowd wearing Bible-themed shirts and waving Jesus-inspired flags, top Trump administration officials and Republican leaders offered historical and personal reflections.
“On this day, two and a half centuries ago, our forefathers gathered for the second time in as many years for a national day of fasting and prayer,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Roman Catholic, said. “They knew that what they were trying to do had never been done before in human history, but with the dark storm clouds of war looming on the horizon, they did what Christians have always done across place and time for 2000 years. They turned their eyes to heaven and placed their faith in the hands of God.”
“This is who we are. It is who we have always been. America is still a young nation, measured against the record of history, and from the beginning, we have carried the belief that our country represents something new in the world, but the soul of our nation has always been rooted in an ancient faith,” Rubio added.
On this day 250 years ago, our forefathers gathered for a national day of fasting and prayer. Today, Americans will come together again as one Nation under God.
This is who we are and who we’ve always been. pic.twitter.com/0r4QUsy1hY
— Department of State (@StateDept) May 17, 2026
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) spoke about Christianity in personal terms.
“I stand before you as living proof that prayer, the power of prayer, changes lives,” Scott said. “It’s prayer that inspires our nation. It’s prayer that transforms our world. There is no way to grasp the last 250 years of America without looking to the power of prayer.”
Actor Jonathan Roumie, best known for portraying Jesus Christ in “The Chosen,” urged Americans to recommit to the idea of being “one nation under God.”
“No matter who you are, or what you’ve done, or how long it’s been, or how bad things might all seem when you get stuck in the doom scroll of it all, simply stop and pray,” Roumie said. “And if you still feel burdened, maybe it’s time to go to confession. There is power in repentance.”
FULL SPEECH: Actor Jonathan Roumie Provides Testimony and Reflects on Portraying Jesus – 05/17/26 pic.twitter.com/8DFzOZSYZz
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) May 17, 2026
The nod to faith comes amid increasing signs of a religious revival in America, especially among young men.
About 42% of men aged 18 to 29 now say religion is “very important” in their lives, up from just 28% two years prior, according to a new survey from Gallup. The 14-point jump marks the steepest increase measured across any demographic group in the poll’s recent history and returns young men to levels of religiosity not seen since the early 2000s.
Vice President JD Vance said the trend is defying what the expert class had predicted.
“Defying predictions, the experts said that religion and faith were dying. Today, a wave of young Americans is returning to the pews, and we know that they’re looking for meaning, for authority, for direction, and of course, for closeness with God,” Vance said. “That should give all of us hope for our future together.”
A Pew Research poll this week showed 37% of U.S. adults believe religion is gaining influence in America, the highest share since 2002.
“No one saw this coming, and this is something that the world, I think, wasn’t really prepared for but is in awe of watching,” The Daily Wire host Isabel Brown said of rising Bible sales and Gen Z leading a resurgence in church attendance. “I think because of the secularism and the moral relativism we’re living through every single day in our secular culture. We’re finding the answers in God.”
REDEDICATE 250 🇺🇸 @theisabelb joins @RCamposDuffy at the event to discuss the Gen Z revival in attending church! pic.twitter.com/rNs4YidI4y
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) May 17, 2026
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