Faith leaders and administration officials join together for Rededicate 250: What to know

Touted by organizers as a “national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving,” the event is expected to draw upwards of 15,000 attendees for the “rededication of our country as One Nation Under God.” 

Who’s attending?

The event will be dominated by Protestant leaders expected to speak on the U.S.’s Judeo-Christian origins. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) are among public officials speaking at the faith gathering. Rubio is a staunch Catholic, while Hegseth, Johnson, Carson, and Scott identify as evangelical Christians. 

Evangelist Franklin Graham, son of renowned evangelical Billy Graham, Liberty University Chancellor Jonathan Falwell, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who is Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of New York, and Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who leads Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City, are among a slate of religious figures addressing crowds. Podcaster Sadie Robertson Huff and author Eric Metaxas are also set to speak.

“Our founders knew two simple truths,” Hegseth said in a video highlighting the event. “Our rights don’t come from government, they come from God. And a nation is only as strong as its faith.”

What will the day look like?

Event organizers hope to spark religious renewal through the all-day prayer festival, which could be the largest such gathering in half a century. 

They say the day will be full of Scripture, music, testimony, and prayer, starting with sunrise worship in front of the Capitol building and ending with a praise concert on 12th Street. Grammy-winning contemporary Christian artist Chris Tomlin is headlining the event, along with Blessing Offor and Aodhan King. 

“From morning fellowship in front of the U.S. Capitol to an evening filled with music anchored at the main stage on 12th Street, Rededicate 250 will be rooted in giving thanks for God’s presence in our national life throughout 250 years of American history and asking for his guidance for the next 250,” reads Rededicate 250’s website. “This is more than an event — it is a once-in-a-lifetime national moment.” 

Last month, the Rev. Paula White-Cain, a senior faith adviser to the White House who is speaking at the event, said it would be “about the history and the foundations of our nation, which was built on Christian values, on the Bible.”