The nation’s capital is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with an array of celebrations, including one currently underway that highlights the Bible’s unique role in US history.
Several prominent faith leaders, along with notable Christian figures from other walks of life, are scheduled to read the Good Book in its entirety throughout the duration of the event at DC’s Museum of the Bible.
Patricia Heaton, the star of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle” star and an outspoken Christian, read the very first passage from Genesis, expressing her gratitude for being selected to participate in the faith-focused event.
Prior to her reading, she told Fox News that it was “an incredible honor” and she was “a bit shocked” to be included. The outlet later covered her opening remarks:
Speaking on stage in the nation’s capital, Heaton reflected on her personal journey reading Scripture and how it shaped her response to the attack.
“Two years later, October 7 happened, and I looked out and said, ‘Why isn’t the whole world in an outrage about what happened?’” Heaton said.
The actress said the moment led her to take action alongside others, helping launch an effort aimed at uniting people of faith.
“We created this organization… helping Christians and Jews come together and stand up for Judeo-Christian values,” she said.
Heaton tied that response to a passage from Ephesians, urging believers to remain steadfast in difficult times.
“Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes… after you’ve done everything, you just stand,” she said.
The Bible-reading event has attracted significant attention from conservative media outlets and influencers, though it has garnered relatively little mainstream media coverage:
FAITH ON DISPLAY IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL
Actress @candacecbure announces “America Reads the Bible,” a 7-day reading of Scripture in Washington, D.C.
From Genesis to Revelation — every word read aloud and streamed nationwide. pic.twitter.com/5gxhS0haeE— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) April 19, 2026
Actresses @CandaceCBure & @PatriciaHeaton are set to join a seven-day Bible reading event in DC for America’s 250th birthday.
The “America Reads the Bible” event will also host readers @Franklin_Graham, @TedCruz, @realBenCarson, and more.
Praise God!
Follow: @DanielleDSouzaG pic.twitter.com/oWvb2AM2fo
— Danielle Gill (@danielledsouzag) March 6, 2026
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, a dynamic event kicks off this weekend to help people engage with God's Word. It's called "America Reads the Bible."
More than 400 Christian leaders will read the entire Bible in 7 days.
WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/PgN01J2KS7 pic.twitter.com/39cWUkZLaU
— CBN News (@CBNNews) April 17, 2026
President Trump’s scheduled participation in the event on Tuesday has attracted the lion’s share of attention, albeit much of it has attempted to tie it to his recent criticism of Pope Leo XIV and a controversial social media post that upset many Americans of faith.
When Politico attempted to elicit such a response from one event organizer, however, she wouldn’t take the bait:
The president’s reading, which has already been recorded, will be part of an 84-hour public presentation at the Museum of the Bible in Washington that will feature nearly 500 readers cycling through scripture from Genesis to Revelation over eight days.
Trump’s roughly two-and-a-half-minute reading, which is slated to air Tuesday, comes after he angered many Christians with a social media post that appeared to depict him as Jesus and publicly quarreled with Pope Leo.
Bunni Pounds, the founder of Christians Engaged and an organizer of the Bible event, welcomed the president’s participation and declined to weigh in on the controversies — though she noted that the president’s reading might be relevant.
“It’s a scripture about repentance,” Pounds said. “None of us are perfect.”
The president’s reading, Second Chronicles 7:14, is among the most frequently invoked verses in American public religious life, calling on believers to “humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face… and turn from their wicked ways.”
The White House on Friday released a statement tying the initiative to the broader sweep of American history, emphasizing what it described as the Bible’s “indelible” role in shaping the nation’s identity. The statement nods to figures like John Winthrop and Abraham Lincoln, and frames the reading as part of a larger commemoration of 250 years of the Bible’s influence in America.
Here’s footage of the opening ceremony:
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