This Day, 417 Years Ago...Why We Should Celebrate April 29

April 29 is a big day in American history. It's not going to pop up on your digital calendar, there are no greeting cards in its honor, and you won't hear anyone say, "Happy April 29!" Nonetheless, it is just as important as the 4th of July.

On this day in 1670, Reverend Robert Hunt of the Anglican Church, landed at a beach now known as Cape Henry, VA with 143 colonists., the founders of Jamestown. Hunt insturcted his shipmates to fast the previous two days, and upon landing, they cut beams out of the ship and erected a large wooden cross firmly on dry land. Their covenant prayer that day was recorded for posterity:

"We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelist to the World. May all who see this Cross, remember what we have done here, and may those who come here to inhabit join us in this Covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures may be fulfilled."

Their landing was only 17 miles from today's city of Virginia Beach, home of Regent University and the first Christian television network, CBN, both founded by Pat Robertson. On April 29, 1977 CBN launched their first satellite, sending the gospel around the world and fulfilling the Covenant of Dedication prayed exactly 370 years earlier.

Robert Hunt brought Christianity to our New World, and established the U.S. as a Christian nation even before there was a U.S., before the Mayflower arrived, before the men we call the Founding Fathers were even born. In gratitude for his brave endeavor and constant faith, we should celebrate April 29 throughout the generations Robert Hunt prayed for.