WASHINGTON (BP) – Against a stained glass backdrop of a cross, the U.S. flag and the nation’s Founding Fathers, Southern Baptist pastors joined others Sunday (May 17) at Rededicate 250 in calling the nation to repentance, while U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected in prayer what he called a “sinister ideology” in the land.
Johnson, a member of Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, La., rejected “attacks on our history, on our heroes and the cherished moral and spiritual identity of this great nation,” in a prayer surpassing 10 minutes and ending with a rededication of the nation to God.
“These voices insist to the young and to the impressionable that our story, the American story, is one of hypocrisy and failure, and that this story can only be understood through the lens of our sins,” he said, although he did not specify any sins. “Father, we reject that. We rebuke it in your name.
“… Just as we in the beginning dedicated this land to Your Most Holy Name, today, here Lord, in this 250th year of American independence, we hereby rededicate the United States of America as one nation under God,” Johnson prayed. “Look upon us with favor upon your country as we celebrate this momentous anniversary, and let your Holy Spirit descend upon this land, so that future generations will look back at this day in this present age and once again see your providential hand at work.”
Speaking for about five minutes each were Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas; with Jonathan “J.P.” Pokluda, lead pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church in McGregor, Texas, praying for revival and acknowledging revival already among younger generations.
Marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Southern Baptist voices were among other Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders on the nearly nine-hour openair program on Capitol Hill with worship, praise and preaching, as well as remarks by cabinet members and political leaders.
Jeffress proudly proclaimed himself and the nation’s founders Christian nationalists.
“These leaders who loved our country and loved our God would be called Christian nationalists today, and it is a title they would have gladly embraced,” Jeffress said. “By the way, if being a Christian nationalist means loving Jesus Christ and loving America, count me in. … They knew that it was their Christian faith that compelled them to love this great country and those who resided in it.”
Jeffress urged individual repentance in pleading for America’s salvation.
“The fire, the flame, the devotion must begin in my heart,” Jeffress said. Rededication “starts with a prayer. It starts with you; it starts with me.” America’s salvation depends upon the repentance and God’s salvation of each American.
Likewise, Graham encouraged sanctification, consecration and repentance in rededicating the nation to God, referencing Joshua’s words to the Israelites before their wilderness journey ended.
“And he said, ‘Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you,’” Graham said. “My message from God’s Word to you today, for all of us, is to … sanctify ourselves, to dedicate our lives, to consecrate ourselves to Him.”
Pokluda prayed for those in attendance to know the power of salvation, and for the continuation of a great awakening and revival he surmised have already begun in America. He has seen young adults and college students saved “by the tens of thousands,” Pokluda said, as he prayed for the nation.
In advance of the event, Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley urged churches to pray for the nation during Sunday worship in concert with the national event.
“Here at Hickory Grove, we’ll be praying that God would bring great blessings to the country and to our leaders,” the senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Hickory Grove, N.C., said in a video released May 13. “Praying for wisdom, praying for His protection. Giving thanks to God for His providence and asking Him to continue to hold us, to bless us, and to use the United States of America.”
Jeffress praised President Donald Trump for hosting the event, sponsored by Freedom250, a public-private organization Trump launched to lead the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations in 2026.
“Nobody can plan a party better than President Trump,” Jeffress said. “But President Trump wisely believed that this celebration should begin with those sacred acts of devotion to almighty God. And that’s why he is the one who has called us together today to rededicate our lives to God. The president believes that we need God.”
The full broadcast of nearly nine hours is viewable here, with videos of individual speeches available on social media.
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