More than 495 Christian leaders, from Washington to Hollywood, will gather for a live event this week to read the Bible aloud from cover to cover.
“America Reads the Bible” will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Museum of the Bible, where participants will read from Genesis through Revelation from April 19 to 25 to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. The event, which launched its opening ceremony on April 18, will also be livestreamed for free on Great American Pure Flix.
National leaders from Congress to the White House will read at the event, along with actors, directors and Christian faith leaders.
President Donald Trump is slated to read 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 from the Oval Office for the event. From his administration, six cabinet-level members – including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio – are also on the schedule.
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Six governors and 20 members of Congress, including U.S. Sens. Jim Banks, Ted Cruz, Joni Ernst and James Lankford, and Govs. Greg Abbott, Ron DeSantis and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, are among the national leaders on the schedule.
Hollywood and entertainment figures are also on the roster, including Candace Cameron Bure, Dean Cain, Dallas Jenkins, Jen Lilley, and Kevin Sorbo.
Several pastors, including Franklin Graham, Sammy Rodriguez and Nick Vujicic, will also read at the event. Podcasters and authors Eric Metaxas and Allie Beth Stuckey will also appear.
According to event organizer Bunni Pounds, founder and president of Christians Engaged, “America Reads the Bible” was inspired by the story of Nehemiah and is intended to draw America back to its “spiritual foundations” ahead of the nation’s historic anniversary.
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“Just as Ezra read the Word aloud to the people of Israel (Nehemiah 8:1–3), awakening revival and repentance, inspiring them to rebuild the temple, and working with Nehemiah to mobilize the people to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, America Reads the Bible is a sacred opportunity to call our nation back to its spiritual foundations,” the event’s website says.
“Through a public, continuous reading of the entire Bible in our nation’s capital by our national leaders from all spheres of influence, we believe God can spark revival in individual hearts and inspire Americans to carry the Word forward in their lives and communities into the next 250 years of our national story,” it continues.
There will also be prayer and worship at the end of each hour of Bible reading, led by Christian artists, including Danny Gokey, Phil King and Leeland Mooring.
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More than 100 faith-based ministries have partnered with Christians Engaged to support the event.
“We’re going to call the American people back to daily Bible reading for the wellbeing of our country and for leaders who will rise to fix the leadership crisis in our country,” Pounds told The Christian Post.
She also told Fox News Digital on Friday that Trump’s participation sends a broader message about faith in American life.
“I think he’s sending a message that faith matters in this country, and that it’s important not only personally, but for our nation overall,” she said.
Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
