America’s great religious divide is coming to town.

As an estimated 2 million Christians pray for the nation, its leaders and citizens on Thursday – including at three public gatherings in the Pikes Peak region where the sponsoring organization is based – a crowd is expected to attend the latest installment of the Center for the Study of Evangelicalism’s Spring series of talks on “Christian Nationalism and Capitalism in Colorado Springs and Beyond.”

This marks the 75^th anniversary of the annual National Day of Prayer, held every first Thursday in May under a bipartisan congressionally approved observance signed into law in 1952 by President Harry S. Truman.

This year’s theme is “Glorify God in The Nations, Seeking Him in All Generations,” from 1 Chronicles. More than 33,000 events are planned, and a 90-minute broadcast from Washington, D.C., begins at 6 p.m. on online streaming sites and Christian television networks.

Locally, gatherings will be held starting at 10 a.m. at Gateway Prayer Garden in Fountain, 6 p.m. at the Ute Pass Cultural Center in Woodland Park and 6:30 p.m. at Radiant Church’s north campus in Colorado Springs.

The purpose of the nonprofit and privately funded National Day of Prayer Task Force is to “mobilize unified public prayer for America,” in Judeo-Christian expression and based on an understanding that this country “was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible,” its website states.

The nondenominational tradition has grown over the years but also has drawn criticism for its seeming lack of ecumenism. Organizers point to the day’s history as being rooted in Judeo-Christian principles that date to the founding of the country for the focus.

Also on Thursday, religious studies scholar and author Matthew D. Taylor, who lives in Baltimore, Md., will speak on his contention that Christianity, particularly a charismatic movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, jeopardizes democracy because the ideology is behind what has been labeled “Christian nationalism.”

His presentation will be based on his 2024 book, “The Violent Take it by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy.” The book centers on Christian ties to the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

The free talk will begin at 6 p.m. at the Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., with a book signing at 5 p.m. The center is supported by the Colorado Springs campus of the University of Colorado.

Known since the 1990s as a hotbed for evangelicalism as hundreds of parachurch organizations and Christian ministries relocated or developed here, Colorado Springs has played a role in shaping the current environment that Taylor views as “concerning,” he said in a phone interview.

Key people involved included the late Peter Wagner, co-founder with Ted Haggard of the World Prayer Center on the campus of New Life Church. The defunct center had served as a centralized command center that mapped and coordinated intercessory prayer and combatted spiritual warfare worldwide.

“Colorado Springs became the nucleus of the New Apostolic Reformation,” Taylor said.

After retiring from teaching at Fuller Theological Seminary, Wagner moved to Colorado Springs and built networks as part of a global revival to create a new church leadership model of apostles and prophets who advocated for societal change in sectors of religion, family, education, government, media, arts and entertainment, and business.

Five of those are the same as “the seven centers of influence” that the National Day of Prayer asks participants to concentrate on, which are: government, military, media, business, education, church and family.

Taylor believes that some of the faith advisors to President Donald Trump subscribe to assertions of New Apostolic Reformation, which he sees as leading to Christian dominance.

Some Christians view Trump as “a secular messiah,” since he’s not a particularly “good Christian,” but “can be an instrument in the hand of God,” Taylor said. All toward the end of restoring the notion of “one nation under God.”

“I don’t think it’s intrinsically bad for Christians to be involved in politics; like any group in society more participation is generally good,” Taylor said. “What concerns me is their theology is accelerationist when it comes to cultural change. They’re not thinking of democracy – they’re thinking of top-down societal change.”

Claims by Taylor and other critics of evangelical Christianity are largely made from the outside looking in, said Paul Batura, vice president of communications for Focus on the Family, a multimedia ministry. He’s also authored eight books and serves as editor-in-chief of The Daily Citizen, the organization’s digital news publication.

As is customary, Focus on the Family’s 600 employees will have an internal National Day of Prayer observance in the workplace on Thursday.

Having worked for 28 years in the field, Batura said most Christians have good intentions and hearts, and vilification is unwarranted.

“This is not a space where the vast majority of Christian people live,” Batura said. “People who dissect the inside of evangelistic movements love to describe motives that are almost sinister in nature. Having worked closely with the leadership here and others in the evangelical movement, their motives are pure. They have a strong desire to help people and tell people about Jesus.

“To the extent that politics come up, Christians care because policies impact people, and that’s why they want to get involved.”

In his presentations around the nation, Taylor calls for people to oppose the direction of evangelical Christianity by voicing their objections.

Batura believes Taylor is referring to Christians on the fringe.

“I don’t know mainstream evangelicals who buy into what he’s warning about,” Batura said. “Every Christian I knew who saw what unfolded on Jan. 6 had the same reaction – basically what is wrong with these people, who do not reflect what we believe.

“It’s not that we’re deniers – we don’t have our heads buried as if they don’t exist – but they’re so infinitesimal in a country of 342 million, they’re an outlier.”

National Day of Prayer local public events

• From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Gateway Prayer Garden, 8035 Bandley Drive in Fountain, speakers will take to the mic and community members from business leaders to political figures will lead prayers, though the garden facility will be open all day for anyone to stop by.

Former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt, host of Pray in Jesus Name, a daily TV news, commentary and prayer show, will lead the event. The keynote will be delivered by Pastor Jeff Anderson, senior faith advisor to Congressman Jeff Crank (R-Colorado Springs).

“We’ll be staying and praying all day long, to honor this time we have,” said Theresa Moody, director of ministries for Gateway Prayer Garden.

• Radiant Church’s north campus at 8630 Scarborough Drive will host a public National Day of Prayer gathering from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.
• Teller County’s annual National Day of Prayer community-wide event will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ute Pass Cultural Center, 210 E. Midland Ave., in Woodland Park.

‘Has Evangelical Christianity Become a Threat to American Democracy?’

• Matthew D. Taylor’s presentation will be based on his 2024 book, “The Violent Take it by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy.” The book centers on Christian ties to the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2020.

The free talk will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., with a book signing at 5 p.m. The event is presented by the Center for the Study of Evangelicalism at the University of Colorado’s campus in Colorado Springs.