Pastor Gary Hamrick to Call for National Repentance at Prayer Event Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary
Virginia-based Pastor Gary Hamrick is calling for national repentance ahead of America's 250th anniversary celebration at the "Rededicate 250" prayer event on May 17.
“Rededication begins with repentance,” Hamrick, the senior pastor of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, told The Christian Post. “Acts 3:19 says, ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.’ We must turn from our sin and turn to God and stand upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ, because He is the only hope for the soul of our nation. Jesus is always the answer.”
Hanrick is among several high-profile speakers at “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving” alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump administration members, and prominent megachurch pastors, including Robert Jeffress, Jack Graham, and Jentezen Franklin.
Hamrick told CP his concern regarding the nation’s drift from its founding principles on issues such as abortion, marriage, and gender identity.
“We have given in to the lies of gender confusion and marriage redefinition, we have stripped parents of the right to raise their own children according to their values, and we have granted the environment more protection than babies in the womb,” he said. “We must safeguard the freedom to worship the Lord, live fearlessly for Jesus in the public square, and love people enough to speak truth against the destructive and demonic ideologies of our day.”
The pastor contended that the church must be eager to be invoked when the culture disregards Christian principles.
The presence of the Church and the power of the Holy Spirit are the only two forces restraining evil in our world,” he said. “Pastors in the pulpits must be courageous, and Christians in the pews must be engaged so that we can help others understand that they can be transformed by the person and power of Jesus Christ.”
“God has blessed this nation, and churches can serve the nation when they fulfill their sacred duty of honoring God with His truth, praying for our country, and standing strong in the public square with truth and love,” he added.
The all-day event, which is free to the public, will feature Scripture readings, testimonies, prayer, and "rededication of our country as One Nation to God.” It will also be livestreamed through partner churches, ministries, and organizations.
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Originally published May 15, 2026.
