Mass Worship Event ‘Rededicate 250’ Happening This Sunday in D.C.

Coming this Sunday, May 17, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will be hosting an event titled “Rededicate 250” — our nation’s largest and most expansive worship service in a long time, designed to help the country spiritually prepare for its semiquincentennial this July 4.

The all-day event, which kicks off at 9 a.m. just in front of the U.S. Capitol, will feature representatives from all 50 states praying for America. The special program has been planned and organized around three main themes or “pillars”:

Pillar I — The Miracles That Made Us: A reflection on God’s providence throughout 250 years, honoring the faith that inspired America’s founders and has carried us forward in every generation since.

Pillar II — The Miracles Still in Our Midst: Personal testimonies of God’s healing in our lives and in our land.

Pillar III — A New Birth of Faith and Freedom: A collective expression of gratitude for 250 years of freedom — and a unified moment of rededication asking for God’s blessing, guidance and grace for the next 250.

Familiar faces and voices known for championing faith and religious freedom in America will be addressing those gathered, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Dr. Ben Carson, Rev. Franklin Graham, Bishop Robert Barron, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Pastor Jack Graham, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Salem’s Eric Metaxas and actor Jonathan Roumie.

“We rejoice in the triumph of the American spirit and in the love and grace of Almighty God,” stated President Trump. “And just as our Founders came together in prayer before declaring independence, thousands of Americans will gather on Sunday, May 17, on the National Mall to rededicate the United States as One Nation Under God.”

At press time, President Trump’s participation in the event has not yet been confirmed. 

This Sunday marks the 250th anniversary of America’s “Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer” passed by the Continental Congress in the midst of the American Revolution, which was held May 17, 1776. 

At the time, leaders urged colonists to “confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease his [God’s] righteous displeasure, and through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness.” 

Imagine the apoplectic fit that some might spiral into today if the 119th Congress were to issue a proclamation of similar wording.

It would be difficult to overstate the power of having so many Christians gathering and lifting their voices in unified prayer and song. Many churches are planning to send busloads of congregants to the daylong event. Focus on the Family is one of the many organizations sponsoring the special program.

When the French-American military engineer and city planner Pierre Charles L’Enfant laid out the National Mall in 1791 at the request of George Washington, he deliberately designed the space so that it could host just such a gathering. He envisioned the “Grand Avenue” connecting the branches of government to be wide, accessible and expansive. He also believed the city’s noble architecture should reflect moral order and civic virtue.

If you’re not able to attend in-person, Americans are invited to watch and worship online. The TBN and CBN cable television networks will be streaming the day’s events.

Make no mistake: From its beginning, America has been shaped and sustained by the prayers of its citizens.