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Andrea Austria/Media Matters

Right-wing evangelical Christian media figures excitedly await Rededicate 250 event

Figures called the event, which is reportedly hosted by the Trump administration, “the culmination” of “three to four decades of work to see this happening in the public arena” and said Trump is “being used by God in so many different ways”

Written by Payton Armstrong

Published

Right-wing evangelical Christian media personalities — including figures who claim to share prophecies, or messages from God, with their audiences — are hailing “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,” an all-day prayer festival on the National Mall. They are celebrating that the government is going to “rededicate the land to the Lord and build an altar to almighty God,” calling it “the culmination” of “three to four decades of work to see this happening in the public arena,” and saying the event is “like the prodigal son where he's returning to God.”

Rededicate 250, scheduled to take place on May 17, will reportedly feature “a slate of political, military and religious leaders” and “will be rooted in giving thanks for God’s presence” and “asking for his guidance for the next 250.” Notably, the religious leaders scheduled to speak appear to be “mostly evangelical” and the speaker list does not feature any “leaders from mainline Christian or historically Black denominations,” or “representatives from other non-Christian faiths, such as Islam or Indigenous spiritual traditions.” Republican leaders scheduled to speak include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

The event comes at a fraught moment in Trump’s relationship with some segments of Christians — especially Catholics — while some journalists and religion scholars have noted how “charismatic Christian prophets have gained new influence since becoming identified with” Trump.

  • Rededicate 250 — which will feature an array of government officials and “mostly evangelical” religious leaders — comes at a complicated moment in Trump’s relationship with some segments of American Christians

    • Rededicate 250 is an all-day prayer festival organized by Freedom 250 — which The New York Times described as “a Trump-backed group supporting the 250th celebration” — and “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.” According to the Times, Freedom 250 was created “to support Mr. Trump’s signature projects,” with Trump announcing its creation “in a social media post in December” and promising “that it would give the nation ‘the most spectacular birthday party you’ve ever seen.’” As part of Freedom 250's religious programing, Trump “announced plans for Rededicate 250, a ‘national jubilee of prayer, praise and thanksgiving’ to be held on May 17,” and the event “will include what the White House has described as a ‘large-scale revival’ on the National Mall in Washington.” [Freedom250.org, accessed 4/29/26; The New York Times, 2/8/26, 3/18/26]
    • The Trump administration is reportedly hosting Rededicate 250, and Republican political figures, some military leaders, and “mostly evangelical” Christian religious leaders will participate. The Washington Post reported that Trump “is also expected to send a video-recorded message.” Religious leaders slated to speak are reportedly “almost entirely” Christian, “mostly evangelical,” and there are no “leaders from mainline Christian or historically Black denominations,” or “representatives from other non-Christian faiths, such as Islam or Indigenous spiritual traditions,” per Religion News Service. Two Catholic leaders on Trump's Religious Liberty Commission will reportedly participate — Bishop Robert Barron and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Major political figures scheduled to participate include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, and Ambassador and U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley. [Religion News Service, 4/22/26; The Washington Post, 5/13/26; The New York Times, 5/14/26]
    • Trump recently drew backlash from Christians across the political spectrum for criticizing the pope and posting an image to social media seemingly depicting himself as Jesus Christ. The Trump administration in recent months has been “trading barbs with the Vatican in what’s become the most contentious relationship between a secular leader and the papacy since medieval times,” according to USA Today. Additionally, right-wing media figures recently lashed out at Trump for appearing to depict himself as Jesus, calling it “blasphemous,” “sacrilegious,” and “completely inappropriate.” [USA Today, 4/19/26; The New York Times, 4/14/26; Media Matters, 4/14/26; Mother Jones, 4/29/26]
    • Religion scholar Matthew Taylor has explained that “charismatic Christian prophets have gained new influence since becoming identified with” Trump, noting that the “New Apostolic Reformation” movement “runs like a golden thread through recent flashpoints of evangelical Christian support for Donald Trump, Christian nationalism and Christian extremism.” Taylor explained that while the notion of modern “prophets” may sound “fringy and oddball in modern Christianity,” such figures and their prophecies “are rapidly redefining mainstream American evangelical theology, practice and politics. They are affiliated with a movement called the New Apostolic Reformation, a set of leadership networks whose leaders call themselves modern-day apostles and prophets and believe they are commissioned by God to take over the world. This NAR movement runs like a golden thread through recent flashpoints of evangelical Christian support for Donald Trump, Christian nationalism and Christian extremism.” [Religion News Service, 5/6/24; The Atlantic, 1/9/25; The Washington Post, 11/25/22]

  • Right-wing evangelical media figures are excitedly awaiting Rededicate 250, celebrating that Trump understands “this nation needs to come up under one God” and that the event will symbolically “build an altar to almighty God”

    • Dutch Sheets, who is “revered by followers as a modern Christian apostle” in the NAR movement, celebrated the event and declared it “the culmination for me of three to four decades of work to see this happening in the public arena.” Sheets, who according to Rolling Stone has for decades fought against the separation of church and state, said: “I've been a part of rededication of the nation. I've prayed it, I've decreed it with hundreds of other people. But when we've reached a point of transformation when the government, our leader, our president says we're going to rededicate this nation to the Lord — nothing, I don't think, any more significant could happen. And as I've studied and looked into this and prayed into it and studied words for rededication, you know, God is putting this together.” [YouTube, FlashPoint, 4/28/26; Rolling Stone, 9/1/22; The New York Times, 5/22/24]

    From the April 28, 2026, edition of FlashPoint, streamed on YouTube

    • Rick Green, founder of the evangelical organization Patriot Academy, claimed on FlashPoint that Trump “has quite literally asked us” and “people that are on FlashPoint all the time, what are the dates I need to be celebrating? What are the moments where there was spiritual revival in the country? And we've given them, and now we're seeing all these events that are going to happen.” Green, a former Texas state representative who has argued for years against the separation of church and state, suggested that God “put” Trump in office and said: “God's going to move. He's opened up the heavens. He's opened up the opportunity for us to do this. He's put a president in place that has quite literally asked us, asked our team, people that are on Flashpoint all the time, what are the dates I need to be celebrating? What are the moments where there was spiritual revival in the country? And we've given them, and now we're seeing all these events that are going to happen, not just that May date, but all the way, not just through July 4 this year, but all the way through July 4 next year, 2027.” [YouTube, FlashPoint, 4/28/26; Deseret News, 10/31/21; The New Republic, 1/3/23; Right Wing Watch, 2/29/12]
    • Self-described “prophet” Hank Kunneman said the rededication event was “like the prodigal son where he's returning to God.” Kunneman said: “There's a return coming May 17 when we are going to stand with God for our country and rededicate it with the leader. I've never seen that before. … God is saying, I'm running to you, America. I'm waiting for your return. I'm waiting for your rededication. And I will do what I did in the story that was told. I will cause my spirit to fall on this country. And as it was said in that prodigal, that the father kissed the son, I will kiss this nation and I will bring an outpouring of my spirit once again. But I need you to see that I'm running towards you to embrace you at this time. Do not curse what I'm doing, says the Lord, but embrace it with the eyes and see my grace at this moment that is covering this country.” [YouTube, FlashPoint, 2/24/26; Media Matters, 7/18/23; Newsweek, 6/11/21; Right Wing Watch, 9/8/21; The Elijah List, 11/9/20]
    • Kunneman claimed months later that he had “documented prophecy that God even says that President Trump would be used to rededicate the nation back to God” and “it's going to be detriment to the enemy.” Kunneman said: “I don’t remember when it was, maybe it was like a couple years ago, where the Lord said that he [Trump] would literally be part of rededicating the nation to God,” continuing, “This is the first time that I have known of a leader in the United States of America that has gathered with its people for the sole purpose of rededication of a nation back to God. And what that means is God is going to take it very serious. And there is going to be some very, very incredible things from God that is going to be released for the good of the nation, and it's going to be detriment to the enemy. There's a judgment that it will open on the heads of the enemy. Isaiah 42:13, God will go forth as a mighty man of war. He'll stir up his zeal and he will prevail against his enemies.” [YouTube, FlashPoint, 4/22/26]
    • Amanda Grace, who has interviewed members of the Trump family and shares “prophecies” she claims are messages from God, connected the event to the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, saying, “Ultimately at the crux of this battle, the enemy doesn’t want this nation rededicated.” She said: “These things are not accidents. What’s happening is strategically timed. The kingdom of darkness and their disciples are strategically timing it this way. Why? Because they’re highly symbolic … They want their watermark all over it because demons want to be worshipped. … Ultimately at the crux of this battle, the enemy doesn’t want this nation rededicated, and — which is happening in May — and the church needs to rise up, armor up, and spiritually fight this war on the grounds of covenant right now.” [YouTube, Ark of Grace Ministries, 4/27/26; NBC News, 5/11/26; Media Matters, 5/30/24; Right Wing Watch, 1/16/24; Charisma Media, 10/16/23, 3/31/26]

    From the April 27, 2026, edition of Ark of Grace Ministries, streamed on YouTube

    • Grace also declared that the event is symbolically “tearing down the altars of the false gods” and is “literally going in to tear down those altars and rededicate the land to the Lord and build an altar to almighty God.” Grace: “I believe getting to this rededication is going to take a heightened spiritual level of sensitivity on the part of the White House that they have not experienced thus far, but will come to in this because to reconsecrate a nation, what you're doing is tearing down the altars of the false gods, of the altars that have been powering the nation, of where the nation has strayed away from the God of their father, almighty God, and you're literally going in to tear down those altars and rededicate the land to the Lord and build an altar to almighty God.” [YouTube, Ark of Grace Ministries, 2/24/26]
    • Leon Benjamin, who describes himself as an “apostle” on his YouTube page, said, “President Trump is lining up America for a transfer of wealth,” likening him to Joseph in the Bible and saying, “It’s amazing that he understands that this nation needs to come up under one God, one nation under God.” Benjamin, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Virginia and was reportedly hosted in February by the Department of Labor “to speak to employees during the monthly prayer service,” said that “people who were broke as a skunk … are going to come into this wealth transfer. … He's [Trump’s] put in things like religious liberty. This man is going to rededicate America back to God this coming May. It's amazing that he understands that this nation needs to come up under one God, one nation under God. This is a Joseph.” [ElijahStreams, Prophets & Patriots, 3/24/26; YouTube, accessed 4/29/26; Media Matters, 1/17/23; A Public Witness, 2/11/26; Wired, 4/14/26]
    • Lance Wallnau, whom Rolling Stone described as a “self-styled ‘prophet’” and who is associated with the NAR movement, said, “When he [Trump] gathers the country this year to rededicate this nation, I pray that a proclamation from him will release a revival in America — the awakening we have longed for.” On FlashPoint, Wallnau celebrated that Trump had shared a 2007 video suggesting that he is part of a Christian prophecy and was chosen by God to be president, and he said in prayer for Trump, “We ask you that you will give him the physical strength in his body, the clarity in his mind, the counsel of wisdom surrounding him, and such a prophetic sense like he's never had.” [YouTube, FlashPoint, 3/9/26; Media Matters, 3/13/26; Rolling Stone, 9/29/22; Religion News Service, 9/13/24]
    • Sean Feucht, whom The Atlantic has described as a “Christian-nationalist musician,” announced he would host a Freedom 250-sponsored event on May 16, claiming he had just gotten off “a call with the White House Faith office” during which he heard about “what is happening on May 17 for the Rededicate America to God event.” Feucht, who has claimed to share prophetic words and warnings, said the rededicate event is “going to be amazing and gets me fired up for May 16,” referring to a “Roots of Revival” event he is hosting that is sponsored by Freedom 250. Feucht added that “the timing is very divine for this. Like, the fact that we are able to set the tone on May 16 for what happens on the Rededicate America event.” Feucht also mentioned Christians persecuted in Nigeria, India, and the Middle East and declared, “There is one force holding back the tide of persecution and darkness and death against Christians, and it is America. It's their fear of America, their fear of our president.” [Instagram, 4/16/26; The Atlantic, 7/1/25; Right Wing Watch, 4/21/23; Media Matters, 9/14/23; Facebook, 11/5/25; Charisma Media, 5/16/24]
    • Julie Green, who says she receives messages from God, said she has heard “prophetic words” that “there's going to be a rebirth in this nation” and said, “I don’t know even if President Trump knows, prophetically, how he’s being used by God in so many different ways.” Green, who has interviewed Eric and Lara Trump, said: “One of the things that God's been warning prophetically is that they were going to try to do more things before, of course, even July 4 and the dedication back to this country and rebirth, because one of the things prophetically that God has spoken for many years, even the ones that prophetic words I've heard, is that there's going to be a rebirth in this nation. And I don’t know even if President Trump knows, prophetically, how he’s being used by God in so many different ways.” [Rumble, Mornings with Julie, 4/7/26, 2/16/26; Media Matters, 10/4/24, 8/7/22, 5/30/24; Rolling Stone, 9/14/22]