A massive conservative Christian prayer gathering took place on the National Mall on Sunday as part of commemorations for the United States' 250th anniversary, drawing both enthusiastic participants and sharp criticism from religious freedom organizations.
The event, known as Rededicate 250, was organized by Freedom 250, a public-private group working with the White House to coordinate celebrations of America's semiquincentennial this summer. Organizers promoted the gathering as an opportunity to "give thanks for God's providence, reflect on our nation's story, and rededicate America as One Nation under God."
The religious composition of the event's speakers raised immediate questions about inclusivity and the separation of church and state. Of the 19 faith leaders scheduled to address the crowd, 18 are Christian, with most identifying as evangelical. The sole non-Christian speaker was Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who leads Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City and serves on President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission.
Prominent Christian leaders who participated included White House faith office senior adviser Paula White-Cain, the Rev. Franklin Graham, and Bishop Robert Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota. Grammy-winning Christian musician Chris Tomlin performed at the event, leading attendees in praise and worship songs.
President Trump, who was golfing on Sunday afternoon, did not attend the gathering in person but delivered a video message in which he read the Biblical scripture 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. This passage details God's response to King Solomon after the completion of the temple in Jerusalem, a text that emphasizes divine covenant and national faithfulness.
Several Trump administration officials participated through video messages, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Their involvement underscored the close relationship between the current administration and conservative Christian communities.
Congressional lawmakers also took the stage, with Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina among the speakers. House Speaker Mike Johnson led the assembled crowd through a prayer, asking God for courage and favor to "preserve this republic" and declaring that "our rights do not derive from the government, they come from You, our Creator and heavenly Father."
The event immediately sparked controversy among religious freedom advocates and interfaith organizations. Interfaith Alliance, a national coalition representing various faiths, projected messages supporting religious freedom onto the National Gallery of Art on Thursday night in protest.
"Trump's 'Rededicate 250' rally on the National Mall is an attempt to turn the United States into an authoritarian theocracy," the group wrote in a social media post, expressing alarm at what they perceive as government endorsement of a particular religious viewpoint.
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, issued a strongly worded statement characterizing the event as "less a 'Jubilee of Prayer' than a 'Jubilee of Christian Nationalism.'"
"If President Trump and his allies truly cared about America's legacy of religious freedom, they would be celebrating church-state separation as the unique American invention that has allowed religious diversity to flourish in our country," Laser said. "Instead, they continue to threaten this foundational principle by advancing a Christian Nationalist crusade to impose one narrow version of Christianity on all Americans."
The gathering represents a significant moment in ongoing national debates about the role of religion in public life and the boundaries between religious expression and government endorsement. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, questions about religious pluralism, constitutional principles, and the meaning of religious freedom remain deeply contested terrain in American political and cultural discourse.
