The Charlie Kirk Effect

​By the time this blog appears on our webpage, more than a month will have passed since the assassination of Charlie Kirk. In the aftermath of this unimaginable event, I felt compelled to reach out to our church’s Safety Team. Below is an excerpt from the email I sent to them on the Sunday following his death, expressing my thoughts and concerns during this difficult time.
 
“I find myself struggling to talk about the profound tragedy that occurred this week. In my line of work, such events prompt us to consider what could have been done differently to alter the outcome. My emotions have fluctuated between anger, sadness, and frustration regarding the current state of our country. There is no excuse, no reason, and no lie that can justify the killing of a man who spoke the truth, a devoted husband, a father of two children, and a friend to millions. Absolutely none. Even as I write this, I am numb. However, we must remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
 
In June 2020, I wrote a blog titled "Is Now the Time for a Christian Revolution?" In Paul McGuire and Troy Anderson's book, Trumpocalypse: The End-Times President, a Battle Against the Globalist Elite, and the Countdown to Armageddon (Babylon Code), they assert: "While a simply conservative revolution can never succeed, a revolution inspired by Christianity certainly can, because it draws its energies from the existence of the biblical God, the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his second coming, the truth of the Word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
It’s these factors, and these alone, that ignited the American Revolution. A true 'Christian Revolution' can never happen unless the church, individual Christians, and Christian leaders really believe what they are teaching and then act upon it. Only a holy fire can ignite the hearts of men and women. Mere intellectual acknowledgment of the truth of the gospel will never release the explosive energies of heaven. The human heart, mind, and will must be absolutely gripped with the truthfulness of God’s existence and his purpose for their lives and the destiny of mankind. When and only when this happens will the Christian Revolution occur and radically change our world."”
 
Even before the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, those of us involved in church safety and security were already focused on monitoring the increasing number of attacks on churches. Several notable incidents have taken place in recent months, emphasizing the ongoing risks faced by houses of worship.
 
On June 22nd, at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, a potentially devastating event was averted thanks to the quick actions of a deacon running late to church. The deacon intervened by running over a man with his truck, who was armed with an assault weapon and carrying a large amount of ammunition. This decisive act prevented what could have been another tragedy similar to the Sutherland Springs shooting, saving countless lives before the attacker could enter the church.
 
Just a few weeks later, on July 13th, a shooting occurred at Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This incident resulted in the deaths of two family members and injuring two more family members of the woman the suspect was looking for. Early reports indicate that the violence stemmed from a domestic dispute, underscoring the unpredictable nature of such threats and the vulnerability of church communities.
 
The sense of unease escalated further on August 27th, when a mass shooting took place during the first mass of a new school year at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The horror of that day included the loss of two innocent children, injuries to eighteen other students, and harm to three elderly parishioners. This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the dangers churches face and the importance of vigilance.
 
Then on September 29th a person full of hatred for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, drove his truck through a wall, exited his vehicle and started shooting at members of the congregation. He then poured an accelerant in the church, setting it on fire. Because of the quick response of local law enforcement, they were able to confront the shooter and stop the threat, but not before the shooter killed four people, injuring eight others and destroying the church from the fire.
 
In the wake of what appears to be an apparent war on Christians, many church safety and security “experts” have responded by emphasizing the need for more armed personnel on church property. The prevailing message is that increasing the presence of firearms is the only way to counteract these threats effectively. However, I believe it is time to challenge this narrative.
 
Most church safety teams today operate in a reactive mode rather than a proactive one. The real issue is not simply the number of guns available, but rather the quality of training and preparedness within our teams. Far too often, churches remain vulnerable "soft targets," and many of these tragic incidents might have been prevented if church safety team members had been better trained and equipped to recognize and address threats before they escalated.
 
I am not here to advocate solely for improved training programs or for constructing physical barriers around our places of worship. Instead, I want to focus on the impact that Charlie Kirk has had on church safety teams. His influence challenges us to rethink our approach, urging us to go beyond the immediate, surface-level solutions and consider deeper, more meaningful changes in how we protect and serve our congregations.
 
The Sunday following Charlie’s death I witnessed our church’s attendance increase where we almost didn’t have enough chairs to seat everyone. During my last two trainings, one in Florida and another in Iowa I witnessed something that thrilled my soul. In the past the majority of the attendees at my trainings are middle age or older. At these two events I saw a surge of young men taking up the call to be safety team members.  Yet, what has given me pause regarding some of these young men is whether their attention has been captured more by “church experts” or by the genuine call of the Lord. It is vital to consider whose guidance they are following: are they absorbing lessons from popular figures who claim expertise in church safety, or are they tuning in to the voice of God and His purpose for their lives within the ministry?
 
Leaders of your church’s safety teams, are you recruiting the young people showing interest in being on the safety team to be security guards for the church or ambassadors for the Kingdom? There is a major difference between the two. Are they fishers of men or do they think there is a madman in every shadow on the church’s property, just waiting for the opportunity to steal, and to kill, and to destroy? Do they see or not see “that the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few?” We as the elder leaders need to bring our young safety team members up in the teachings of Jesus and not the teachings of some “expert” with 200K followers on YouTube that wants you to be a security guard and carry the biggest gun you can conceal for your church.
 
I really don’t know how to say this any clearer, we were placed on this earth to love Christ and work toward the expansion of His kingdom. Christ says the greatest commandment of all is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind." The second is to "love your neighbor as yourself." Are we teaching this or do we teach our young men to judge everyone that looks suspicious who comes into our church? Our decision on which way we approach a person that doesn’t look right could change the outcome of that person’s life. A life as a follower of Christ or a life of thinking the church is nothing more than a place of hypocrites where we judge those that don’t look like us. What are we teaching?
 
Charlie Kirk talked to everyone, no matter their beliefs, race, sex, hair color, tattoos or piercings. He saw everyone through the eyes of Jesus Christ. Yet even in the love of Christ he didn’t back down from the truths of the Bible. A sin was a sin and the answer to everlasting life is Jesus Christ. Are we teaching the way of the gun or are we teaching the way of Christ?
 
The truths of Jesus Christ gives us the rights to protect the flock. Being right with Christ also gives us the power and strength of the Holy Spirit who guides us to show us the wolves and the hurting and gives us the words and actions to handle both. I stand bold to protect my church, but I also look for those I can serve. My elder brothers and sisters, we have an opportunity to change the way church safety is looked at by the leaders of our church. If they see that our major obligation is to expand the Kingdom of God while protecting the flock, we will see a renewed support on our ministry. But we have to take the lead. We who are older and looking for ways of passing the baton to the next generation of safety team members, the formula is right in front of you thanks to the ways of Charlie Kirk.
 
I will finish with the rest of the email I sent to my safety team after Charlie Kirk’s death. I pray that this inspires my elder brothers and sisters to realize our work is not done yet. We need to pray about it and be the leaders God has chosen us to be like those that have felt the Charlie effect.
 
“Charlie Kirk would have been a welcome and loved friend at Lakeview Church. His views on abortion, marriage, the belief that God created us as male and female without error, and that the only path to the Father is through Jesus Christ, are "the majors," as our Pastor Tim often says, that we all agree on. Lakeview has always been transparent about its beliefs and has never wavered from them. Because of our unwavering stance on these biblical truths, we are also at war. This is precisely why we do what we do.
 
This weekend, I ask that you all take a moment to pray for the Kirk family. We must ensure his flame does not extinguish. He spoke the truth with honesty, love, and kindness, and never backed down from those who sought to silence him. We must continue to stand as he did and not falter. He initiated a movement, and it is our responsibility to see it through. Perhaps Charlie's death will be the spark that ignites the hearts of men and women to take a stand and initiate a Christian revolution.”
 
Your brother in Christ,
 
Jim

---