Dear Slavic pastors, youth, young people, and brothers and sisters in Christ.
On Sunday September 21, 2025, I had the great honor of attending the Charlie Kirk memorial service, in person, in Glendale, Arizona.
200,000 gathered in person to honor a 31-year-old young man, who was brutally assassinated for his faith in Jesus Christ. Charlie Kirk wasn't assassinated because he was being political. He was assassinated because he was being biblical. Charlie Kirk in the most biblical sense, is a modern-day martyr.
According to Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Charlie Kirk, more than 100 million viewers may have tuned into livestreams of the memorial.
Attending this memorial service gave me a glimpse into what eternity would be like, with hundreds of thousands of believers, coming together, to worship our Lord Jesus Christ, in unity. What happed this past Sunday was nothing short of supernatural.
Dear Slavic brothers and sisters, it is disheartening that many in our community remain unaware or indifferent to the profound loss of Charlie Kirk, a martyr whose death on September 10, 2025, shook the foundations of our faith and nation. His assassination was not just a tragedy but a clarion call for us to awaken from complacency and engage with the biblical truths he championed. As Jesus warned in Matthew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour,” urging us to stay vigilant and active in our faith, lest we miss the moment God is calling us to act. Let us shed our ignorance and rise to honor Charlie’s legacy by boldly living out the gospel in our lives and communities. Charlie Kirk, assassinated for boldly proclaiming the gospel, was not merely a political figure but a devoted believer whose life challenges us to live courageously for our Savior.
Charlie Kirk, assassinated for boldly proclaiming the gospel, was not merely a political figure but a devoted believer whose life challenges us to live courageously for our Savior.
Charlie’s final moments were spent professing Jesus as Lord, a testament to his unwavering faith. As Pastor Rob McCoy declared, “Charlie looked at politics as an on-ramp to Jesus.” His work with Turning Point USA blended biblical truth with cultural engagement, upholding principles like one man-one woman marriage, the sanctity of life, and the reality of two genders—male and female. These truths, rooted in Scripture, guided his life and mission. To our Slavic youth, searching for role models, Charlie exemplified a man who “walked the walk and talked the talk,” as Mikey McCoy noted, living simply yet powerfully for Christ.
The memorial, headlined by worship from Cody Carnes, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, and Kari Jobe, was a vibrant display of Protestantism’s power—a faith that built America and calls us to revival. Frank Turek and Marco Rubio shared clear gospel presentations, while Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, modeled Christlike forgiveness, saying, “God’s love was revealed to me on the very day my husband was murdered.” Her call to men to be leaders worth following and to women to embrace motherhood as a sacred ministry resonates deeply with our Slavic communities, where family and faith are paramount.
Charlie’s assassination was an attack on all who hold to biblical truth, as President Trump stated: “The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us.” Yet, as Tucker Carlson proclaimed, “Any attempt to extinguish the light causes it to burn brighter.” This is our moment, Slavic Christians, to rise in faith, not fear. This memorial service started with worship at 8am and concluded at around 4:30pm. It was livestreamed to millions, showing the world that Christians respond with grace and resolve.
To our pastors, preach the gospel boldly, as Dr. Ben Carson urged, proclaiming what the Bible says, not what culture demands. To our youth, emulate Charlie’s courage and work ethic, as J.D. Vance noted, living lives that evangelize through action.
To all Christians, especially our Slavic brethren, let us honor Charlie by continuing his mission—building a civilization rooted in Christ. As I shared the gospel with my driver, a young Assyrian man, right after the conclusion of this memorial service, he asked me if I can please pray for him so that he would draw near to God. He then proceeded to ask me how can he be saved and have a stronger faith. I prayed for him, quoted Romans 10:9 to him and told him that I would be praying for him to continue walking with the Lord. I told him that I would send him a Bible, I would help him find a bible believing church and would pray for him.
In the conclusion to his speech, speaking about his friend Charlie Kirk, Frank Turek, American Christian apologist, author, public speaker said this: Let us honor Jesus, Charlie, and Erica, so that when we rise each morning, born again in faith, the devil trembles and shrieks, ‘Oh no, they’re awake again, they are born again!" May that be true of us.
Let us understand that this moment in history, this moment in time, this is our turning point. This is not just a revival in this country. Let this moment be a revival for each and every one of us, personally. In our hearts and in our lives, as we faithfully and more fervently than before, follow Jesus.
Bogdan Kipko
Senior Pastor
Forward Church Irvine
The Charlie Kirk Memorial Service: Pastor Bogdan Reflects: Video | Audio.
