They came from nearly fifty states—four thousand men, women, and children. They came to celebrate the providential origins of our nation on the 400th birthday of the founding of Jamestown. They came to give America a birthday party dedicated to the glory of God. And from the opening ceremonies which involved the reenactment of the “First Landing” on Monday, June 11th, to the glorious closing fireworks on the evening of Saturday, June 16th, the Christian families in attendance prayed, played, feasted, and rejoiced. By God’s grace. the event was blessed from beginning to end, and the Lord alone recived the glory, honor, and praise.

The Jameston Quadricentennial: A Celebration of Our Providential History was the most significant and far reaching event in the history of Vision Forum Ministries. Designed to be a distinctively Christian birthday party which took the best of the great traditions of centennial celebrations past, the event exceeded all of our expectations for its beauty and power as a testimony of the mighty hand of God in history. May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised for His loving kindness and His mercies.

The Jamestown Quadricentennial included events (often running concurrently) in five cities—Hampton, Charles City, Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown. Nearly a thousand celebrants travelled in hot air balloons. More than five thousand people participated in thirty-five, two-hour Faith and Freedom Tours that featured some of the great teachers and preachers of our day. Fifteen hundred people travelled down the James River on boat tours that presented history from a providential perspective. Just under one thousand boys and girls of all ages marched in costume, with the flags of fifty states waving and fifes and drummers playing in a grand and glorious parade on Friday. A similar number marched again on Saturday.

Over the course of the week celebrants dedicated an historic monument, attended more than twenty-five lectures and reenactments. They watched “The Marriage of Pocahontas,” met the grandson of the tenth President of the United States, shook hands with President Theodore Roosevelt, and dialogued with Princess Pocahontas. Some of them searched for answers to an historic mystery, and one of those treasure hunting sleuths became the “Fifth Trustee” and heir to a cache of four hundred gold coins. Celebrants listened to the blast of the cannons, the sounds of fifes and drums, and they gathered under the evening sky for a simply spectacular fireworks display.

But more than anything else, the families in attendance were able to take a week of their lives to stop, rejoice, give thanks to the Lord, and praise the name of Jesus Christ for his many mercies in the life of our God-blessed nation.