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Guest post by Paul Gardiner
For Americans desiring to attend a special America250 event, an upcoming summer film and worship service at the Washington Memorial Chapel on the grounds of the Valley Forge National Historic Park, PA, is a highly recommended event.
Saturday, June 27, 2026, will be a special day of thanksgiving and worship at the Chapel located on private property within the Valley Forge National Historical Park—one of America’s most hallowed places. The event will honor America’s 250th anniversary and the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of patriotic Americans who over the years have given their lives so that others can live in freedom and peace.
This special event will begin at 2:00 PM with a free viewing of the Sight & Sound film “A Great Awakening” telling the story of The Reverend George Whitefield’s powerful preaching during the first great awakening to tens of thousands of Americans and his unlikely friendship with Benjamin Franklin. The film is a reminder of the vital importance of faith & morality for the formation of America — especially the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Washington Memorial Chapel is one of the sites on which the movie was filmed.
At 5:00 PM following the movie, there will be a special Evensong from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (the same prayer book that shaped George Washington’s faith). Brigadier General Ed Brandt, former US Army Deputy Chief of Chaplains for the Army National Guard and Chief Chaplain, National Guard Bureau, and current Senior Pastor for United Church of Marco Island, Florida, will give the address on this occasion of thanksgiving for God’s Providence in the formation of America.
Due to the Chapel’s limited seating for approximately 200 people, both the film and worship service can be viewed via an outside 17 foot x 10 foot high-definition screen across from the Chapel’s Cabin Shop Cafe where concessions can be purchased. Attendees are advised to bring lawn chairs for the movie and service in the likely event Chapel seating is unavailable. Live streaming is also planned for the event.
The liturgy of the evening will offer thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed on America over the course of the nation’s history to include special thanks for the bravery and patriotism of General Washington’s soldiers who greatly suffered at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778. Over 2,000 of these soldiers suffered and died while encamped at Valley Forge due to sickness from lack of adequate food, clothing, and shelter.
The Chapel honors not only George Washington but all patriots, civilian and military, who struggled and sacrificed for the freedoms Americans enjoy today. It expresses the belief held by the nation’s Founders and summarized by Washington himself in a letter to Pastor John Rogers on 11 June 1783: “Glorious indeed has been our contest…but in the midst of our joys, I hope we shall not forget that to divine providence is to be ascribed the Glory and the Praise.”
The Washington Memorial Chapel was built by and for the American people; it has never received any government funding and is truly the people’s chapel. Among other things, the coats of arms of all 50 states are embedded in the Chapel’s wooden ceiling. As an architectural gem on the National Register of Historic Places, Washington Memorial Chapel preserves the sacred memory of the faith and resilience of the men and women who birthed a nation. It has stood since 1903 as a reminder and symbol of freedom and the many sacrifices made over the years by America’s patriots.
For further information, view the Chapel’s website at www.wmchapel.org or call 610-783-0120.
Paul Gardiner is a retired Army officer, Vietnam veteran, and avid lover of America. He is a staunch supporter of the Washington Memorial Chapel and its importance to the nation.
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