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September 12, 2025

Dear CBC Family,

I would imagine that our congregation ranges from people who had never heard of Charlie Kirk before his assassination, on the one hand, to those who have followed him closely for years, on the other. I am closer to the second category.

Charlie Kirk was brutally murdered, assassinated, as he reached out to young people in Utah this last Wednesday. Charlie was doing what he constantly did: engaging young college students in dialog, hearing their questions and providing contentful answers peaceably, rationally, and very effectively. I expect that we will find that this is precisely why he was murdered — because he was very effective in reaching young people with an antidote to the God-hating Marxism and nihilism that they would often hear in their classes.

Though he is best known for the political impact he had, Charlie constantly preached Christ and the Gospel. You can watch a video where Charlie particularly asks the late John MacArthur to preach the gospel to those he was leading. Here is a recent tweet of Charlie’s:

"It's all about Jesus."

Charlie spoke of Jesus and the Gospel frequently, to the best of his ability. And he said young people should marry and have children, which he himself did. The murderer’s brutal bullet left Charlie’s young wife a widow, and his two little children fatherless.

In recent months we have lost three very different men who all did their best to have an impact for Jesus Christ on America: James Dobson, John MacArthur, and Charlie Kirk. The first two led long and fruitful lives, and died of what we call “natural causes.” The third was cut down at age 31 (—31!) by an assassin’s bullet.

As I did not see any equal man waiting in the wings to take John MacArthur’s place, I don’t see anyone equal waiting to bring Charlie’s mixture of relentless patience, focus, articulateness, command of the facts, grace, and tireless labor. But God is sovereign, He knows exactly what He is doing, “He puts down one and raises up another” (Psalm 75:7). As He can raise up a thousand John MacArthurs, He can raise up a thousand Charlie Kirks.

But at present, our loss is bitter. Both MacArthur’s and Charlie Kirk’s deaths hit me hard. Whether by a long life — like John MacArthur’s — or a short life — like Charlie Kirk’s — God help us to fill our hours with fruitful labor for His glory. And God grant that if we should die, those who knew us will be left with as clear and bold a witness to Christ as was the case with those two men.

Yours in Christ’s Service,

Dan Phillips

Pastor, Copperfield Bible Church