Leaders in the Episcopal Church—from various dioceses and parishes, across the ideological spectrum—expressed sympathy, condemned violence, and offered prayers after Charlie Kirk, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, was killed on September 10 by an assassin’s bullet. A full day after the shooting, the FBI reported that the gunman was still at large.
“Charlie Kirk stood up for family, for moral clarity, for the freedom of inalienable rights, and for divine truth,” wrote the Rev. Charlie Holt, rector of St. Mark’s Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Holt was twice elected bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Florida in 2022, but was not seated—first after withdrawing his acceptance of the result, and again after failing to receive churchwide consent.
Holt added that the 31-year-old activist, credited with galvanizing the youth vote for President Trump, “was courageously faithful to his mission” and a “witness for Jesus Christ,” who relied on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Kirk founded the nonprofit Turning Point USA while still a teenager. The organization bills itself as the largest conservative movement in the country, with a presence on more than 3,000 campuses. Turning Point events are held on college campuses with the goal of inspiring young people to join the Republican Party.
Kirk’s viral debates with students who held opposing or largely liberal viewpoints earned him national fame and the attention of Republican leaders, including President Trump.
“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me,” President Trump wrote on his social media platform, breaking the news of Kirk’s death.
Although hailed as a hero by key conservative figures, critics said Kirk championed values that promoted xenophobia, homophobia, and Christian nationalism. He also held traditional conservative views on abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and maintained a Christian Zionist understanding of the State of Israel.
At least three bishops across the church, including Bishop Dorothy Sanders Wells of Mississippi, offered prayers for Kirk and especially for his family. Kirk married Erika Lane Frantzve, a former Miss Arizona, in 2021. They have two children: a son who turned 1 in May and a daughter who turned 3 in August.
Alongside a photo of a shocked audience member who witnessed the shooting, Bishop John Taylor of Los Angeles posted a prayer on social media: “Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love, and no harm done to any soul on account of political difference: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all people may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one God; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.”
Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings when he was shot, according to widely circulated videos. He was speaking at the kickoff event of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University in Orem, a city 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
“As people of faith we believe Jesus Christ calls us to confront injustice and ideological differences with integrity and truth but never through the use of physical force or intimidation,” Bishop Phyllis Spiegel of Utah said in a statement. “Violence is an unacceptable response to disagreement.”
Two Episcopal priests who are also social media influencers—the Rev. Joseph Yoo, who leads the Mosaic Church in Pearland, Texas, and the Rev. Christian Anderson, vicar of St. Mary’s Church in Stuart, Florida—regularly share progressive views with hundreds of thousands of followers. Both emphasized Kirk’s humanity and Jesus’ character as they unequivocally condemned violence.
“While I don’t think I agreed with anything Kirk said,” Yoo wrote on Threads, “he is still a human being.”
“Violence is never the solution. Violence only brings more violence,” he added.
The Rev. Christian Anderson, in a statement to The Living Church, said: “Jesus did not meet hostility with the sword; when others demanded war, he gave them the cross. As his disciples, we are charged to do the same. Violence is never the answer.”
Conservative influencers and Trump allies, including billionaire Elon Musk, reacted to Kirk’s death with anger. “The Left is the party of murder,” Musk posted on X.com.
President Trump, in remarks delivered from the Oval Office, blamed the rhetoric of the “Radical Left” for the fatal attack. He also announced on September 11 that he would bestow the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on Kirk.
On the same day as Kirk’s shooting, there was a school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado, after which the 16-year-old gunman died from a self-inflicted wound. One student remains in critical condition, according to Colorado Public Radio.
On September 11, the FBI released images of a man accused of shooting Kirk and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Caleb Maglaya Galaraga is The Living Church’s Episcopal Church reporter. His work has also appeared in Christianity Today, Broadview Magazine, and Presbyterian Outlook, among other publications.
