“America Reads the Bible” kicked off in Washington, D.C., Sunday morning, April 19, with actress Patricia Heaton — of Everybody Loves Raymond — reading aloud Genesis chapters one and two.
The public read-a-thon is scheduled to conclude Saturday, April 25, at 9 p.m., with a reading of Revelation 20 through 22 by Ryan Binkley, an aspiring politician and pastor of Create Church in Richardson, Texas.
Spectators are watching in person at the Museum of the Bible, and online streaming also is available.
Organizers announced over the weekend that President Donald Trump will join the cast of readers Tuesday evening in the 6 p.m. hour to read 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. That passage, a favorite of Christian nationalists, includes the verse: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Although the words are recorded in Hebrew Scripture as God’s message through Solomon to the Israelites, Christian nationalists claim this is a promise of God that applies to America today.
Trump’s reading will be prerecorded from the White House.
Bunni Pounds in prayer at the kickoff gala (America Reads the Bible Facebook)
“America Reads the Bible” is the brainchild of Bunni Pounds, a failed Republican candidate for U.S. Congress who now is a worship warrior. She is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University, a school affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, that features a Colonial-style campus and whose mascot is the American Patriot.
That school’s president, Adam Wright, was among the first day’s readers — Leviticus chapters 8 through 10 — and attended the opening gala Saturday night. He posted on Facebook that he was “honored to have represented Dallas Baptist University and the broader higher education community” at the event.
“There is something powerful about gathering around the word of God; across churches, institutions and generations, united in a shared commitment to Scripture. Tonight, I have the privilege of reading alongside many others as part of this week-long journey through the Bible. Grateful to stand with leaders who believe deeply in the transforming power of God’s word.”
The schedule includes 500 readers over six days. Each hour segment has a sponsor, and the readers are mainly individuals related to those sponsors.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson at the opening gala for “America Reads the Bible” (Photo by America Reads the Bible via Facebook)
Among the most notable other readers are U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee (Genesis 12-13), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (Genesis 24), actor Kevin Sorbo (Genesis 36-37), U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (1 Kings 5 through 7:12), U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (1 Kings 7:13 through 8:21), HUD secretary and former Southern Baptist pastor Scott Turner (1 Kings 14–15), former HUD Secretary Ben Carson (2 Chronicles 8), Christian nationalist and amateur historian David Barton (Nehemiah 1–3), Christian nationalist author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey (Esther 2 through 3:6), White House Chief of Staff Suzie Wiles (Proverbs 31), Hobby Lobby founder Steve Green (Isaiah 31–32), U.S. Sen. James Lankford (Isaiah 38–40), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (Isaiah 43), Christian nationalist lecturer and author Eric Metaxas (Isaiah 52–53), former Southern Baptist Convention leader Ronnie Floyd (Lamentations 3–4), U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (Ezekiel 35–36), Christian nationalist prophet Lance Wallnau (Ezekiel 48–Daniel 1), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Daniel 5), former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis (Nahum 2 through Habakkuk), former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVoss (Zechariah 10–11), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (Matthew 5), country music star Lee Ann Womack (Luke 1), evangelist Franklin Graham (Luke 10), Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (Luke 22:39 through chapter 23), Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (John 1:1–34), Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (John 4:1–26), actor Dean Cain (John 5), Christian nationalist apostle Andrew Wommack (John 6-7), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (John 18), Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (Romans 14), Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (Romans 15), White House Faith Adviser Paula White (Philippians 1–2), Southern Baptist pastor Jack Graham (1 Thessalonians 1–5), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins (Hebrews 2–3), Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (2 Peter 2–1 John 2).
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