Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered on the National Mall in Washington DC on Saturday to pray for the reconciliation of America and the return of Donald Trump to the White House.
Organizers of the event, called “A Million Women,” described the rally – and next month’s presidential election – as “a final moment” to save the nation from forces of darkness. For hours, the gathered crowd sang worship songs, waved flags symbolizing their belief that America was founded as an explicitly Christian nation and prayed aloud that Jesus would intercede on Trump’s behalf in November.
“If we don’t stand our ground now,” said Grace Lin, who came to the meeting from Los Angeles wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, “the enemy will take over our country. If that happens, that’s the end.”
Lou Engle, the self-proclaimed prophet who organized the event, said God told him in a dream to call a million women to march on Washington to restore God’s rule over the nation. Engle is a leader in the New Apostolic Reformation, a movement of charismatic Christians who for years have portrayed American politics as a spiritual clash between good and evil and Trump as a flawed leader anointed by God to redeem the nation.
“Listen to the cries of your people,” Engle shouted Saturday as thousands of followers raised their hands to the sky. “Save us, God!”
From a stage overlooking the Washington Monument, Engle and other speakers warned of a host of threats they say America faces: crime, religious persecution, abortion and the growing acceptance of LGBTQ people.
Thousands of women showed up wearing pink shirts emblazoned with the words “Don’t Mess With Our Kids” — the name and slogan of an anti-LGBTQ activist group that claims library books, public school teachers and pop culture are tempting children to change genders change.
Susan Marsh, who traveled from Maryland, said she attended because she fears that if Democrats retain power, her 10-month-old grandson will grow up in a country where he is pressured to identify as a girl. As she sang and prayed, Marsh waved a large Appeal to Heaven flag — a prominent symbol of the Christian movement to end the separation of church and state in America.
“So many people are hopeless right now,” Marsh said as she spoke to a reporter. “Our children are undergoing surgeries that are unnecessary because their hearts are broken and they think they are not who they should be.”
Maryn Freitag was part of a group of about 50 people who traveled from Minnesota. She said she came “to support the man God has chosen as president.” She then gestured to her hat, which had “Trump 2024” written in glittering rhinestones.
Freitag refused to think about what would happen if Trump loses to Vice President Kamala Harris: “I don’t even want to go there,” she said.
Sandi Woskie, another member of the Minnesota contingent, heard the comment. She leaned forward and said, “Think of Armageddon.”
“That’s right,” Freitag said. “If we do not return this nation to the Lord, we will quickly descend into the abyss of no return.”
Matthew Taylor, a senior scholar at the nonprofit Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies in Maryland, said these comments are representative of a dangerous and increasingly widespread embrace of apocalyptic political messaging on the Christian right.
Taylor, who attended the march Saturday as part of his research, has spent years studying the New Apostolic Reformation and its staunch support for Trump. He documented in his book “The Violent Take It by Force” how false claims of widespread election fraud by Engle and other Christian nationalist leaders fueled the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Taylor said he worries that the dire reports — and the portrayal of Trump as God’s chosen candidate to defeat evil Democrats — could set the stage for more violence.
“This is about activating Donald Trump’s most fervent Christian supporters by putting them into an apocalyptic mindset that says this election is ‘do or die’ for America,” Taylor said. “The danger is that these people could easily be turned into Capitol rioters if the right circumstances arise and if their leaders give them that direction.”
Taylor – and many others in attendance – noted that the crowd was more racially and ethnically diverse than most conservative political gatherings. Churches from across the country, including some predominantly black denominations, chartered buses for the event. Organizers chose to hold the event on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, because it is a day to atone for sin.
LaTrece Curry, a black mother who said she voted for Barack Obama in 2008, drove from Ohio with her husband and four children. She said her support for Trump — a twice-divorced billionaire who faces a series of criminal charges related to his business practices and alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election — has led to division and feuding with her Black friends and family members . But she believes he is the only candidate who will put America back on a moral course.
“I really think this is a last stand,” Curry said. “But God has given us so much time. Now the judgment will come.”
Phil Heilman drove from Florida with his wife. They learned about the event while attending an election rally in Georgia organized by Lance Wallnau, an evangelist who created and popularized the Seven Mountains Mandate — a growing belief among the American right that says conservative Christians are called to positions. of power in seven key sectors of society, including business, education, media and government. Wallnau was one of the speakers on Saturday.
Heilman said he gets his news from FlashPoint, a TV show that reaches hundreds of thousands of followers with a mix of pro-Trump political commentary and prophetic messages about God’s divine plans for America.
He worries about what will happen if Trump loses, but he said he is confident Satan will be defeated even if Harris and the Democrats win.
“If that happens, it won’t be a political solution,” Heilman said. “God will provide other opportunities to take back the land that will be more covert or underground.”
Heilman, who held a large red “Jesus Is King” flag over his shoulder, did not elaborate on what that might look like.
One way or another, justice will prevail, he said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
