“Of the 56 men who shaped the Declaration of Independence, more than half of them, 29 had some form of seminary or Bible school degrees,” noted Gary Hamrick, senior pastor of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA, in a May 2026 teaching honoring the 250th birthday of our country. “They acknowledged that it was upon God that this nation was founded. They so relied on Him, that they were willing to sign their names and to die for this cause, if necessary.”
Two Calvary Chapel pastors, one on the West Coast and another on the East Coast, share their thoughts about this significant event.
David Rosales, Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Valley, CA:
Because history has really been neglected in school—has been for a generation now—people do not realize the hand of God on this nation and the character and fiber that came from its initial founding. Our laws are based on the Judeo-Christian philosophy of life. I see the U.S. as being a “city on a hill.”
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
I really believe that righteousness does not come through rules, regulations, or laws, but from a people who represent the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church needs to wake up in this nation, which is ripe for revival. We need to waken to the heritage that we’ve received and to take our civic duties more seriously. Multiple millions of Christians aren’t voting. We need to see the threat we are in now. There’s a spiritual war. I honestly do believe we’re being invaded by Islam, an ideology that’s intent on destroying the Judeo-Christian faith and making us subservient to Islam. We need to be a nation that returns to our God.
I served in the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne, in 1971-72. I have a love for this nation. I was willing to take an oath to defend it—that oath never expires. We don’t have a perfect nation, but we have a nation under God. We have every reason to be grateful.
Gary Hamrick, Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA:
Independence Day reminds us that God has been at the center of our nation since its founding in 1776. Thomas Jefferson once said, “God who gave us life gave us liberty.” But friends, without God, there is no liberty. Jesus said in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Freedom is a gift—both spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin, and religious freedom to worship the Lord and live fearlessly for Jesus in the public square. But if we are not careful, our nation may lose the very freedoms upon which our country was founded.
There is a battle in our day between good and evil, between right and wrong, between truth and lies, and between light and darkness—a battle for the very soul of America. It is a battle worth fighting, but it will only be won if pastors in the pulpits are courageous and Christians in the pews are engaged. 1 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
This Independence Day—250 years in the making—may we turn from our sin and turn to the Lord and experience true freedom in Jesus Christ. As the great hymn of our faith says: “Our hope is built on nothing less—than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame—but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid Rock I stand—all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. May God bless America.”
