Witnessing a Turning Point: Up Close and Personal at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial
By: Bunni Pounds
My son, Ben, and I arrived at State Farm Stadium at 7 a.m. on Sunday and looked around at the throngs of people there to pay their respects to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, but to also stand for truth, the Gospel, and love of country. Even with free tickets distributed online, hundreds had spent the night sleeping on the streets and thousands more had arrived at 4 or 5 a.m. to ensure they made it into the stadium to honor someone most didn’t even know personally, but who had impacted their lives.
At 31 years old, Charlie was murdered by alleged shooter Tyler Robertson as he was talking about his faith and the transgender issue at Utah Valley University. The world has been mourning his loss.
Ben and I were able to find the VIP entrance and, after speaking with several other ministry friends, made it through the metal detectors and security line, down to the stadium floor.
After years of praying for God to move on Christians to simply pray, vote, and engage, for Gen Z to be impacted with the Gospel, for pastors to not be afraid of preaching on biblical issues, and for Americans to be awakened to truth, what we experienced in the stadium was beyond what I can describe. It was an answer to every prayer I have prayed, and years of prayer by the faithful around the nation.
Preparation Through Worship
Before the actual service began at 11 a.m., national worship leaders, many of whom wouldn’t have been seen as “political” before, boldly stood on that stage singing many of Charlie’s favorite worship songs. Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, Kari Jobe Carnes, Cody Carnes, and Tiffany Hudson from Elevation Worship boldly led the attendees into worship of the one true God. They helped bring the presence of God into the room for hours.
At one moment during the event, everyone held up signs that had been placed in their section of the stadium in honor of Charlie as violins played. My son and I held up signs designed for the TPUSA Faith section that had a picture of Charlie and a Scripture that he quoted two years ago in a speech: “Here I am, Lord, send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
People across the room started weeping. It was a holy moment. Then Brandon Lake started singing “Agnus Dei” (Holy, holy, are you Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb). Overcome by emotion, tears rolled down Brandon’s face. Kari Jobe knelt on the stage before the Lord. Our group of ministers looked at each other, overwhelmed that God was moving so strongly in what felt like a half-political rally, half-tent revival. Later, we would hear Benny Johnson, longtime colleague of Charlie, tell us that Charlie had issued a dilemma to him before his death – “If we could only figure out how to bring the Holy Spirit into a Trump rally.” Benny’s response during the memorial was, “I think we have done it!”
Truly, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” as Christian theologian Tertullian said in the late second century. We saw that lived out in America on Sunday.
The turning point is here. This is revival.
TPUSA estimated that 100 million people streamed the broadcast worldwide, which is likely one of the highest-viewed programs ever.
The Simple Gospel Brings Life
Pastor Rob McCoy preached a simple Gospel message of salvation, then extended an invitation to everyone who was not a Christian and wanted to commit their lives to Jesus to stand up.
Thousands across the stadium stood up quietly, quickly, and boldly. Even a man across the aisle from us in the VIP section stood boldly next to his wife, surrounded by faith leaders. It was the beginning of an incredible service.
Testimonials of Courage
Turning Point staff members shared testimonies of how their lives had been changed by the power of God and the message that Charlie Kirk lived out in front of them. From Benny Johnson talking about “the mess” he was in with alcohol and other vices before he met Charlie, to Mike McCoy, Charlie’s assistant who traveled with him for years, telling his testimony of meeting and marrying his wife because of Charlie. One of the leaders made the powerful comment, “Courage doesn’t require talent; it just takes a choice, a ‘yes.’”
Charlie obviously had both talent and grit, but he inspired ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Former HUD Secretary and renowned surgeon Dr. Ben Carson emphasized the importance of Charlie’s call to action for young people. “You cannot be the land of the free if you are not the home of the brave.”
A Shift Toward Repentance
As President Trump and Vice President Vance entered the room, appearing behind the bulletproof glass in a special upper section of the stadium, the crowd erupted in cheers. Before the most powerful people on the planet, worship leader Cody Carnes read from the Gospel of John.
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:10-13).
Something shifted. The realization came that we were all the same, whether government leaders, high-net-worth business leaders, ministers, young people, or ordinary Americans. We all need Jesus, and it hit us.
Dr. Frank Turek shared about the final few minutes of Charlie’s life and their attempt to revive him after he was shot. He preached one of the greatest Gospel moments I have ever heard under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Many people were then shocked — and it was one of the most powerful moments for me — when Tucker Carson walked on stage a few minutes later with a call for repentance for himself and the nation. We all looked around at each other, thinking, What is happening right now? My first thought, and one that was echoed by other friends later in the day, is that God used Carlson to preach a message of repentance that most pastors are not willing to proclaim.
As the meeting transitioned to government leaders speaking, the message of eternity and our need for God continued. The theme: Jesus saves. Jesus was the most important thing in Charlie’s life. God, through Charlie, impacted all of them.
Our Government Leaders Preach Truth
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, said Charlie’s “words were his weapons,” pushing for freedom of speech for all Americans, saying that Charlie “sincerely wanted people to know the truth.” Truths on simple things, like the fact that there are only two genders.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio preached one of the most powerful messages on the Gospel I have ever heard, highlighting the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and even proclaiming His Second Coming.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared the plan of salvation, highlighting the power of the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins. “We always did need less government. But what Charlie understood and infused into his movement is, we also needed a lot more God,” he said.
Donald Trump, Jr. and President Trump emphasized the power of Charlie’s testimony and Christian witness in their lives.
Vice President Vance made the statement, “I’ve been a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public… but I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life!” Earlier in the speech, he said, “We have not had a funeral, we have had a revival.”
It was a national scene that I want to encourage us never to forget, as Christians from around the globe heard the good news of Jesus from the leaders of our nation.
Erika Kirk Forgives Her Husband’s Murderer
Erika Kirk showed the world how grounded she was in the Word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit as she gave a speech in front of the world less than two weeks after her husband’s murder. With two little kids at home, knowing she must raise them without their father, and having the responsibility of a massive national organization on her shoulders as the new CEO, she communicated boldly to the American people about Charlie’s love for God, for her, for America, and for the world.
In one powerful moment speaking of the alleged killer, she said, “That man, that young man… I forgive him. 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 and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
Witnessing a Turning Point
As my 26-year-old son, Ben, and I left the stadium and walked to catch an Uber to the airport, we reflected on what we had just witnessed.
I believe we witnessed a turning point for our nation at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, a moment that will forever mark this generation.
Now laid before every American is a choice.
Will we embrace truth, boldness, and wholehearted devotion to God regardless of the consequences, or will we remain lukewarm, caught up in the spirit of the culture?
How will we respond at this turning point in American history?
For me, I choose Jesus, freedom, truth, and boldness. I pray you’ll join me.
Together we will make more impact than we have ever made before as God breathes on our efforts to bring the Word of God and truth into our culture.
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