About 15,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington DC on Sunday, May 17, for Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving, a nine-hour prayer rally marking the 250th anniversary of US independence [1, 2]. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time and was organized as a Christian-focused celebration aimed to "rededicate our country as One Nation Under God" [1, 2].
The stage was decorated with Christian imagery, including arched stained-glass windows depicting the nation’s founders alongside a white cross. The rally featured worship music and predominantly evangelical speakers [1]. Most speakers were aligned with former President Donald Trump, including Paula White-Cain and Franklin Graham, with only one non-Christian speaker—Orthodox Rabbi Meir Soloveichik [1, 2].
Donald Trump addressed the crowd remotely via video from the White House, reciting scripture and calling for a national rededication to God [1, 2]. Top Republican officials also spoke or sent messages of support, including Senator Tim Scott, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth [1, 2]. Senator Scott asked attendees, "Are you a believer in Jesus?" and said, "Our rights don’t come from the government. No, our rights come from God, the king of kings" [1, 2]. Rubio reflected on the role of Christian faith in history, saying, "Our faith calls us outwards into the limitless darkness of the unknown" [2]. Hegseth urged, "Let us pray as he did. Let us pray without ceasing. Let us pray for our nation on bended knee" [1].
Some religious leaders criticized the rally for blurring the lines between church and state and promoting a narrow Christian ideology. Rev. Adam Russell Taylor said, "We are deeply concerned that what is really being rededicated is a nation to a very narrow and ideological part of the Christian faith that betrays our nation’s fundamental commitment to religious freedom" [1]. Paul Raushenbush called it "a betrayal of America’s founding values guaranteed in the First Amendment" [2].
Pastor Samuel Rodriguez reflected on the rally’s message, declaring, "America is done with God, and God is not done with America" [1].
The event’s conclusion on May 17 marked the focal point of several celebrations around the nation commemorating 250 years since independence.
