Thousands of Christians gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Sunday for an all-day prayer and worship service honoring the nation's Christian heritage ahead of the 250th anniversary.
The event, called Rededicate 250 and part of the Trump administration's Freedom 250 initiative, drew believers who braved 80-degree heat and long lines to pray and worship together. Speakers included Franklin Graham, who criticized what he called America's moral decline, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Tim Scott and actor Jonathan Roumie, who urged recommitment to the idea of one nation under God. A recorded message from President Trump called for repentance using a passage from 2 Chronicles. Grammy-winning artist Chris Tomlin performed for the crowd during the service, which featured political and religious leaders such as Speaker Mike Johnson and Secretary Pete Hegseth. The gathering occurred amid signs of rising religiosity, with a Gallup survey showing 42 percent of men aged 18 to 29 now view religion as very important in their lives, up from 28 percent two years earlier. Vice President JD Vance highlighted the trend, noting it defied predictions of declining faith.
