Ahead of our nation’s 250th anniversary, Christians Engaged is hosting America Reads the Bible, a week-long event where more than 475 participants will read the entire Bible aloud.
The event begins with an opening celebration on April 18. National leaders from different spheres of influence will read Genesis through Revelation from April 19–25 at the World Stage Theatre at the Museum of the Bible.
Great American Pure Flix will be producing and livestreaming America Reads the Bible nationwide, or tickets can be purchased to attend in person.
Christians Engaged, a ministry of Family Policy Alliance, is a nonprofit organization that educates and equips Christians to “pray regularly, vote in every election, and engage their hearts in local and national civic life.”
The group explained the purpose of the event:
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.
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.
Readers are from every walk of life, including government, entertainment, education, business and Christian ministry. Participants include Franklin Graham and Nick Vujicic; Pastor Sammy Rodriguez; actresses Patricia Heaton and Candace Cameron Bure; film director and writer Dallas Jenkins; and U.S. Senators Jim Banks, Ted Cruz, Joni Ernst and James Lankford.
Podcasters and authors Eric Metaxas and Allie Beth Stuckey; U.S. Secretaries Pete Hegseth, Brooke Rollins and Marco Rubio; and business owner and model Kathy Ireland; and Governors Greg Abbott, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Ron DeSantis are also reading Scripture.
America Reads the Bible will have prayer and worship at the end of each hour of the Bible reading, led by worship leaders like Meridith Andrews, Danny Gokey, Phil King, Leeland Mooring, ChiChi Onyekanne and UPPERROOM.
King wrote the song “Heal Our Land” as the official worship anthem for the event. The former worship pastor at Christ for the Nations Institute and Gateway Church in Texas, he now leads worship at Trinity Fellowship Church, in Amarillo, Texas.
“King wrote the song ‘Heal Our Land’ as a solemn prayer of intercession for America and worked with director Josh Franer to produce the visually stunning music video,” event organizers explained in a press release.
The lyrics, based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, include imploring God to bring healing, forgiveness and revival to the United States:
You said if my people called by my name/ Would humble themselves and pray/ That You’d hear from Heaven/And from there You would pour out rain/ So we call on Your promise/ This oath that You made/ Though our sins are so many and so great.
Heal our land, heal our cities, heal our people/ With Your hand touch this nation, send revival/ We still believe You’re more than able/ We still believe You’re not done with us/ Heal our land, heal this nation, God.
Bunni Pounds, president and founder of Christians Engaged, is the visionary behind the event. She described her hope for the public reading:
When America honored Scripture, we flourished. When we sidelined it, we lost our way. No politician or policy can heal what is broken in the human heart. America doesn’t just need another election; it requires a spiritual awakening rooted in God’s Word.
This is not a performance or a political event; it’s a sacred gathering. Pastors, business leaders, professors, actors, and everyday believers will come together to proclaim Scripture over our nation, believing God will move as His Word goes forth.
While Christians Engaged is hosting the event, more than 100 partner ministries are involved, including businesses, ministries, state-based family policy councils and Christian colleges and universities.
Find out more about America Reads the Bible here, and learn how to attend in person or watch online.
Related articles and resources:
Appreciating the Full Scope of the Lordship of Christ – and the Gospel Itself
The Church’s Lane is the Whole Cosmos
How Big is Your View of the Gospel?
How Do We Know the Bible is True?
How Evangelical Conviction Is Standing Strong Against Evil
Is Religious Faith Gaining Influence in America?
Is Revival Beginning in America, With Younger Men Leading the Way?
