By Jon Brown, Reporter • Christian Post
Tens of thousands packed into the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday to pay their respects to the late conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, whose legacy was marked by his outspoken Christian faith and promotion of the gospel.
Speakers eulogizing Kirk’s life included political leaders such as President Donald Trump, White House cabinet officials, Turning Point USA and TPUSA Faith employees and conservative media influencers, as well as musical performances by prominent Christian artists.
Kirk’s murder on Sept. 10 at the hands of an alleged 22-year-old shooter at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, has prompted an outpouring of grief worldwide, and many who knew Kirk have emphasized that his faith was what was most important to him.
Here are five highlights from the hours-long event, which drew the attention of millions from around the globe:
• Pastor Rob McCoy opens with gospel: “Guest of honor” — Pastor Rob McCoy, pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel and co-chair of Turning Point Faith, opened Kirk’s memorial by sharing the gospel and emphasizing that Kirk’s Christian faith was foundational to his political work. “Charlie wanted his Savior to be the guest of honor; he wanted all of you to receive this gift from him — the why in what he did. Charlie was never afraid because he knew his life was secure in the hands of God.” “His blood was poured out because blood must be shed for the remission of sins,” McCoy said. “And His (Jesus’) death upon that cross was sufficient for all the world’s sins, but only efficient for those who, like Charlie, would receive Him as their Savior.” McCoy added, “Charlie looked at politics as an on-ramp to Jesus. He knew if he could get all of you rowing in the streams of liberty, you’d come to its source. And that’s the Lord.”
• Erika Kirk forgives assassin: “It was what Christ did” — Kirk’s 36-year-old widow, Erika, publicly forgave her husband’s killer, noting that it was what Jesus Christ did for those who murdered Him and what Charlie would have wanted. “On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,’” she said, before tearfully adding, “That young man, I forgive him,” which prompted emotional applause from the throngs in the stadium. “I forgive him,” she said, drawing a standing ovation. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do,” she said. “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love, is always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.” Erika Kirk, who has been named the CEO of Turning Point USA, said she has seen evidence that her husband’s death has led to widespread interest in the gospel, and noted that his assassination has not led to violence. “We didn’t see violence, we didn’t see rioting, we didn’t see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country: we saw revival,” she said. “This past week, we saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade. We saw people pray for the first time since they were children. We saw people go to a church service for the first time in their entire lives.”
• Trump: “A missionary with a noble spirit” — Trump, who spoke last at the event, highlighted Kirk’s many accomplishments, but noted Kirk’s faith was his greatest priority. “What was even more important to Charlie than politics and service was the choice he made in the fifth grade, which he called the most important decision of his life, to become a Christian and a follower of his Savior, Jesus Christ,” Trump said. Trump also thanked Kirk’s family for raising him in a way that positioned him to fulfill his calling. “Your son brought more good and love into this world in his 31 short years than most people, even very successful people, can bring in a lifetime,” he said. Trump went on to suggest that “Charlie’s murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement — it was an attack on our entire nation. The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us. That bullet was aimed at every one of us.” Trump, who earlier this summer prompted concern among some Christian supporters for appearing to acknowledge his unworthiness before God while suggesting he could possibly earn his salvation, also admitted during his speech that he does not yet exhibit the grace toward his enemies that Kirk did. “He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose,” Trump said of Kirk. “He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent. And I don’t want the best for them,” he continued. “Erika, you can talk to me and the whole group, but maybe they can convince me that that’s not right, but I can’t stand my opponent,” he said, before later embracing Erika in a heartfelt moment following his speech. “We go forward strengthened by his faith, bolstered by his courage and inspired by his example to defend the country he lived for, for the freedoms he died for, and the values in which he so deeply believed,” Trump said.
• Tucker Carlson: “The only real solution is Jesus” — Conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson drew parallels between Kirk’s legacy and that of Jesus Christ, noting both of them were murdered by people who wanted to silence the truth. Carlson, who spoke for about five minutes, said Kirk was ultimately “a Christian evangelist” and that his assassination echoed the actions of people who have tried to stifle the gospel for thousands of years. “It actually reminds me of my favorite story ever,” he said. “So, it’s about 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, and Jesus shows up, and He starts talking about the people in power. And He starts doing the worst thing that you can do, which is telling the truth about people. And they hate it, and they just go bonkers,” he said, presumably referring to the religious authorities of the time. “They hate it, and they become obsessed with making Him stop: ‘This guy’s got to stop talking. We’ve got to shut this guy up.’” Noting that killing Jesus was the solution those in power mistakenly thought would “fix the problem,” Carlson added that the Beatitudes show that God inverts the intentions of the wicked and that “everything is sort of the opposite of what you think it’s going to be.” Carlson went on to say he believes that while Kirk’s message was often political, it also transcended politics because he knew society’s deepest problems were spiritual. “The main thing about Charlie and his message: he was bringing the gospel to the country,” he said. “He was doing the thing that the people in charge hate most, which is calling for them to repent. Charlie was a political person who was deeply interested in coalition building and in getting the right people in office, because he knew that vast improvements are possible politically,” said Carlson. “But he also knew that politics is not the final answer. It can’t answer the deepest questions, actually; that the only real solution is Jesus.”
• RFK Jr.: “God loves us all” — HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Kirk followed in the footsteps of Christ and the Christian saints by surrendering his life to God. “Charlie’s overarching passion was his Christianity and his devotion to his God,” said Kennedy. “He believed what St. Francis taught us almost 1,000 years ago: that we should strive to live our lives in perfect imitation of Christ. We should turn every day and every moment and every action into a prayer. And Charlie understood the great paradox: that it’s only in surrender to God that God’s power can flow into our lives and make us effective human beings. Christ died at 33 years old, but He changed the trajectory of history. Charlie died at 31 years old. Because he had surrendered, he also now has changed the trajectory of history.” Kennedy also noted that freedom of speech was inextricable with Kirk’s faith, and that standing up for righteousness is worth risking one’s life. Reiterating much of the speech he made in Washington, D.C., at the packed Sept. 14 vigil for Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which was named for his assassinated uncle, Kennedy suggested that members of his own family are beginning to be open to the gospel. Kennedy publicly forgave members of his family last year for publicly denouncing and mocking him after he endorsed Trump, which Kennedy has noted was a political alignment Kirk helped to orchestrate. Kennedy said love for one another is some of the best proof that God exists. “For those of us who were friends with Charlie, we don’t need any more evidence of the love of God,” he said. “Because friendship is the best evidence that God loves us all.”
— Executive Editor’s Note: This article was first published at christianpost.com/news/top-5-moments-from-kirk-funeral-missionary-with-a-noble-spirit.html. If you would like to read more details about the memorial service, check out this article we shared on our website, but didn’t have room to include in the paper: baptisttrumpet.com/2025/09/23/kirkmemorial.
