Christian Obedience is what should have guided every pastor’s response to Charlie Kirk’s murder, yet when I heard how some responded, I was deeply disturbed. In a moment when the pulpit should have been a place of prayer, lament, and comfort, I saw political spin, mockery, and ideology take the place of compassion. That is not what Scripture calls us to.
I believe the only faithful response to a murder like this is to weep with those who weep, pray for the family, and point people back to the hope of Christ. Nothing else belongs in that moment. Yet what I witnessed from several pulpits was a failure of Christian obedience — and that failure reveals a deeper problem in the church today.
When Pastors Mock or Politicize Tragedy
God’s Word is clear: “Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Instead of doing that, a handful of pastors used Charlie Kirk’s death as a platform for partisan commentary. Here are four examples that stood out to me.
1. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III — Dallas, TX
Dr. Haynes went so far as to dismiss Kirk’s murder as “not an assassination.” He contrasted it with civil rights leaders’ assassinations, saying it was simply “a white Christian killed by a white ‘Christian,’” even putting the word Christian in air quotes. To mock a man’s faith in the moment of his death is heartbreaking to me. A pastor’s role is to shepherd, not to score points.
2. Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley — Alexandria, VA
Rev. Wesley did at least admit Kirk “did not deserve to be assassinated.” But then he turned quickly to political commentary, calling Kirk “an unapologetic racist” and questioning why flags were lowered in his honor — remarks that sparked national headlines and debate. I can’t help but ask: is that the message his church needed in that moment? What about prayer for Kirk’s family, or reminding people of the hope we have in Christ? That is the response the pulpit should have offered.
3. Rev. William Barber — North Carolina
Rev. Barber condemned the killing, which was right. But then he used the tragedy to rail against Christian nationalism. I’ve got no problem with confronting false teaching — in fact, pastors must do it — but the timing here mattered. In the aftermath of a murder, the focus should be on prayer, comfort, and grief. Using a man’s death to push ideology is not biblical shepherding.
4. Houston Pastors — The “Martyr” Label
Some Houston pastors labeled Kirk a “martyr” for the conservative Christian movement. While that might sound honoring, I believe it was still a misuse of the pulpit. The job of a pastor is not to rally a political base but to point people to Christ. Calling him a “martyr” may fire people up politically, but it fails to do the one thing a pastor is called to do in the face of tragedy: preach Christ and comfort the brokenhearted.
What the Bible Demands of Pastors
When I look at Scripture, the expectation is not complicated:
“Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up” (Ephesians 4:29).
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
I believe these verses give pastors their marching orders. Comfort the grieving. Build up the church. Preach obedience as the evidence of love for Christ. Nothing about those commands makes room for mocking, for partisan spin, or for politicizing death.
As Desiring God explains, the gospel doesn’t call us to empty emotionalism — it calls us to the obedience of faith. When pastors forget that, they lose their authority to lead.
Why the Church Is Here: Love Without Obedience
Here’s where I think the real problem lies. Too many churches today have lost their backbone. They preach the love of Jesus, but they don’t preach obedience to Him. And the two cannot be separated. Jesus said plainly, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
I believe America is where it is today not because unbelievers act like unbelievers — that’s expected. It’s because the church has failed to act like the church. Pastors have watered down the gospel, offering grace without repentance and love without obedience. That’s how we got to a place where even pastors can mock the dead or use a murder as political fuel.
True love without truth is sentimental. Truth without love is harsh. But truth and love together — anchored in obedience to Christ — is what our pulpits desperately need.
When Politics Belong in the Pulpit
Now let me be clear: I don’t believe pastors should avoid politics altogether. When political issues are really moral issues addressed by God’s Word, pastors must speak.
Abortion: Scripture is clear that life begins in the womb (Psalm 139:13–16, Jeremiah 1:5). To stay silent is disobedience.
Marriage: God defined it as one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). To compromise here is to ignore His design.
Gender: God created us male and female (Genesis 1:27). Denying that is denying His authority.
In these cases, getting “political” is simply preaching Scripture. I’ve written more about this in Voting Biblical Values in Congress: Who Aligns with God’s Word?, because I believe Christians must vote according to God’s truth — not cultural trends.
But mocking the faith of a murdered man or using a killing to stir up partisan anger? That is not political preaching rooted in the Word. That is cultural preaching rooted in ideology.
A Call Back to Christian Obedience
Charlie Kirk was a sinner saved by grace, just like the rest of us. He was bold in his faith and unapologetic about it. In his murder, pastors had an opportunity to show the watching world what Christian compassion looks like. Too many failed.
I recently wrote about what it truly means to carry the torch for Charlie Kirk, and for me, that means standing unapologetically on Scripture with courage and love. That’s what our pulpits should have modeled.
Instead, I believe the modern church has traded obedience for popularity. We preach love without the call to holiness. We comfort without calling people to repentance. And the result is a church that mirrors the culture instead of confronting it.
It’s time for that to change. Pastors must return to Christian obedience — to preaching truth and love together. They must confront sin when laws violate God’s Word, but they must also refuse to turn tragedy into political theater.
That’s the only way the church will regain its strength. That’s the only way we can shine light in this dark culture.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
Carrying the Torch for Charlie Kirk
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