Pastor Rob McCoy Reflects on Charlie Kirk's Death and the Mission to Continue His Work in South Korea
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Pastor Rob McCoy Reflects on Charlie Kirk's Death and the Mission to Continue His Work in South Korea
Pastor Rob McCoy opens up about delivering the eulogy at Charlie Kirk's memorial service and the unexpected peace he experienced despite the weight of global attention. McCoy shares intimate details about his friendship with Kirk, revealing how the Turning Point USA founder was actually an introvert who poured himself out for others and was the most misunderstood missionary in Christendom. Now, McCoy is heading to South Korea to fulfill a promise Kirk made before his death, to advocate for Pastor Son, who has been imprisoned for his faith. McCoy explains why he believes Kirk was a modern-day Moses who liberated an entire generation from ideological slavery, and challenges pastors across America to step up and complete the mission Kirk started.
Delivering Charlie Kirk's Eulogy Under the World's Gaze
Pastor Rob McCoy describes the overwhelming experience of preparing to speak at Charlie Kirk's memorial service. Hundreds of well-meaning people sent texts offering advice, visions, and words they believed were from God about what to say. Eventually, McCoy had to turn it all off. Every time he tried to write something down, his mind went blank. Then he read Matthew 10:18-20, and an unprecedented peace came over him—unlike anything he had experienced in his 61 years on earth.
The only thing McCoy wrote down before stepping up to speak was a quote from Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby, and he even got that quote wrong. Everything else flowed in the moment. McCoy reflects on the remarkable pastors Kirk associated with—the kind of men you wish God had made two of and none of yourself. He never asked to be put in that position of delivering the eulogy, yet there he was. Despite feeling unskilled for such a task, he had complete peace about honoring his friend. It turned out to be one of the most amazing days of his life.
An Unprecedented Gathering of Power and Influence
The memorial service was unlike anything attendees had ever witnessed. The most powerful people in the entire world gathered to honor Kirk's life and speak about his impact. McCoy noted this extraordinary convergence of influence and the palpable sense that God was moving through this horrific event that shocked so many. The feeling at the service was that this was not just a memorial, but a moment of revival and awakening.
The Church That Missed the Movement
McCoy has been telling pastors across the country, especially within the Calvary Chapel network of approximately 1,800 churches worldwide, that they missed this movement. These churches were birthed out of the Jesus movement, but many of the older generation just didn't see this new awakening coming. They didn't know how to process Charlie Kirk. Many wouldn't have him speak at their churches, and some didn't do anything the Sunday he was killed.
McCoy believes Kirk was the most misunderstood missionary in Christendom. Turning Point USA is a secular 501(c)(3) organization, not a Christian organization. There are people involved with Turning Point who are agnostic, maybe even atheist. But as Kirk would always say, if we can get people rowing in the streams of liberty, they're going to come to its source, which is the Lord. Kirk never hid his Christian faith.
What appealed to so many young people was that Kirk was willing to go where the church wasn't—into the public square to contend for their future. The church had abdicated this responsibility long ago, claiming they don't do politics because politics is dirty. Kirk saw politics as an on-ramp to a relationship with God. Now churches are beginning to see this, though some still don't understand. McCoy expresses being blown away that some prominent churches said nothing about a modern-day martyr, remaining completely silent.
Processing Personal Grief While Caring for Others
When asked about his initial reaction to the news, McCoy shares that prior to meeting Kirk, he had been mayor of Thousand Oaks. Eight days after becoming mayor, the city experienced its most horrific event in 50 years—a shooter killed 12 young people at a country western dance hall, two of them from McCoy's church. The entire city was then encircled by fires. As a sheriff's chaplain and mayor, McCoy was with every family member when they were notified their child was a victim.
So he had been through something like this before. But the difference was that, except for Officer Helus who was a friend, it wasn't somebody as close to him as Kirk. The call came immediately after the shooting from McCoy's son, who was right near Kirk. His son said, "Dad, please call pastors and pray. Charlie's been shot in the neck." His son had his capacity about him, wasn't panicking, and was orchestrating things. From there, they turned to action.
It wouldn't be until about 48 hours later at 3:00 in the morning in Salt Lake, after they had gone to be with Erika and the staff, that McCoy woke up and started sobbing. For about an hour and a half, he experienced what he calls a messy cry. His wife woke up and saw him crying. After that, it was back to caring for people.
Why Charlie Kirk Connected With Millions
McCoy explains the phenomenon of people who never met Kirk feeling deep grief over his death. When people took time to dig in beyond the out-of-context clips designed to justify negative opinions, they discovered something special. After the shooting, more clips of Kirk were viewed than ever before in his lifetime. People started to realize he was really sweet, had that Cheshire impish grin and smile, and was unbelievably civil in his interactions.
For those who listened to him daily, Kirk was the most logical voice. People loved that he insisted on telling the truth. He wouldn't bring anything on his podcast or radio show that hadn't been confirmed. He wouldn't venture into unverified territory or attack people with ad hominem arguments just for clickbait. He was educating his audience every day, which people appreciated. It wasn't a cult following like you see with some clickbait models.
Kirk was an introvert by nature, so when he went out into crowds, he was pouring himself out, and people could tell. He was personable and always about relationships. This had a ripple effect. Every cabinet member who spoke at the memorial had a personal connection with Kirk in a spiritual way—he had brought up faith with every one of them. McCoy has stories he can share and some he can't, but confirms that Kirk truly was the most misunderstood missionary in Christendom.
The Faith That Drove the Politics
Many people assumed it was politics that motivated Kirk. But it was an inversion of that assumption—it was his faith that was driving him. People are now seeing this clarity, discovering that his political activism flowed from his Christian convictions, not the other way around.
Charlie Kirk's Unexpected Journey to South Korea
Kirk loved America and wanted to remain in the US. He had traveled to Israel, and he did go to England after being accused of being too afraid to debate at Cambridge and Oxford. When he went, England's brightest were eviscerated by his brilliance, despite being unbelievably rude to him.
McCoy had been going to Korea for what would have been his third year when he introduced Kirk to the opportunity. A young woman named Mina Kim had built an enormous YouTube following in South Korea. In that patriarchal society, this only child caring for her quadriplegic father had created a platform translating conservative commentators like Kirk into Korean, since South Koreans only get traditional legacy media that is completely biased and left-leaning.
Mina came to America on her own dime to participate in Turning Point events, then showed up at McCoy's church saying she had been translating him into Korean and asking if he'd ever want to go to Korea. Though McCoy had no interest, he found himself saying yes. She had created the equivalent of Turning Point Korea, called Buildup Korea, with thousands of young people and church support.
McCoy told Kirk he had to see what was happening. Kirk agreed to go, despite the long 14-hour trip. While there, Kirk met Pastor Son in Busan, who has the largest church in that southern Korean city. Pastor Son was the only church that stayed open during COVID. He's ex-South Korean special forces, adored by his wife, with amazing kids. The congregation loves him, and he feeds them every Sunday in a three-level dining hall, knowing everyone's name.
A Promise Made Before Death
When Kirk arrived in Korea, the country was under a new leftist administration—President Lee had replaced the previous president, who was now in jail along with the first lady. McCoy compares it to if Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won and Americans were two years into that administration. South Korea was experiencing vicious attacks on churches, with raids and persecution.
All of Mina's corporate sponsors were pulling out because the administration was targeting Christians, similar to DEI tactics in America. Pastor Son was at the event, and Kirk heard his story and Mina's story and was burdened by it. Kirk told Pastor Son, "I make no commitment on behalf of my government. I can't do that. But I promise you that if you are put in jail, I will call the Secretary of State and I'll let him know and I'll put it on my program."
Kirk went off to Japan to speak to the conservative party there. McCoy finished a couple more events in Korea and landed on Monday to his phone blowing up—Pastor Son was in prison. Kirk immediately asked for all the information, saying he would put it on his program, likely slotted for Wednesday. Then Charlie Kirk was murdered.
Keeping Charlie's Promise
McCoy is now keeping Kirk's promise. Though he's not Charlie Kirk, he's pushing the issue up the food chain and believes he's reached the Secretary of State. He's going to Korea, leaving on Thursday, to preach in Pastor Son's pulpit while he's in prison, care for his family, and awaken the church to quit being cowards. If one is imprisoned, all are imprisoned.
McCoy points out this is the largest Christian population in Asia, yet no word is getting out anywhere. He believes if the US is implementing 15% tariffs for nations, South Korea needs 300% tariffs if this is how they're going to treat their citizens. America lost 36,224 military personnel to establish the 38th parallel—not so South Korea could raid churches and abuse pastors.
The Mission in South Korea
McCoy will be in the pulpit on the 28th, doing two morning services and an evening service. He'll meet with the head of the Conservative party, whose five million members have been doxxed by the opposition party. He's going to share stories that Kirk would tell about courage—that we're not in charge of the outcome, we're in charge of the obedience. Rights are like muscles; if you don't exercise them, you lose them.
McCoy plans to get the pastors to wake up because they bought into what the American church had been doing for a season before God used Kirk to awaken them. They had become gnostics, separating the tainted from the holy, saying they don't do politics because politics is dirty.
How Charlie Kirk Overcame His Fear of Preaching
McCoy's was the first church Kirk ever preached in. When McCoy asked him to speak, Kirk said he doesn't speak in churches. When asked why, Kirk explained that churches don't want him because they say he's too political. McCoy responded that politics is the highest form of community, combining morality with sociability. Jesus gave the two great commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang the law and the prophets.
McCoy reminded Kirk of Jeremiah 29, which says to pray for the peace of the city in which you dwell, for in its peace you shall have peace. Christians are supposed to be in the public square contending for the sake of their neighbor. America has a constitutional republic designed for the freedom of religion and speech so people can care for their neighbor. As John Adams said, only a moral and religious people can govern a republic. Americans are the sovereign in the nation with responsibility to care for these people, and they've been given a form of government unequaled in 6,000 years of recorded history.
The minute Kirk preached that Sunday, McCoy saw something remarkable. Having been with Kirk hundreds, maybe over a thousand times when he preached in various settings, McCoy had never seen him nervous except for that Sunday. Kirk had such reverence for the pulpit and the word of God that he didn't want to mess it up. But he hit the ball so far out of the park it's still sailing.
Pastor Jack Hibbs, whom McCoy calls the Pope of Protestantism, called McCoy after hearing about that Sunday and asked him to speak on Wednesday night at his church. When you preach at Jack Hibbs' church, you've arrived. McCoy told Hibbs he didn't want him, he wanted Charlie Kirk. Hibbs said he heard Kirk was kind of political. McCoy told him to listen to last Sunday's message. Hibbs did, brought Kirk on Wednesday, and offered him a platform that launched him into the stratosphere of Christendom that some churches still haven't grasped.
Charlie Kirk as a Modern-Day Moses
When asked about Kirk's legacy and what comes next, McCoy shares a message he delivered the Sunday after Kirk was murdered. He sees Kirk as a modern-day Moses. The children of Israel—3 to 5 million of them—were enslaved in Egypt. They had been told by Abraham they were God's chosen people, but they were in slavery and had probably forgotten the one true God.
An 80-year-old man showed up who was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, handsome in word and deed, who knew how to debate. He approached Pharaoh and said God says let my people go. Pharaoh, like all tyrants, asked who is God that I should obey him. After 10 plagues dealing with every pagan god and the Passover, Pharaoh relented. They came out of Egypt with the wealth of the Egyptians. God drowned the Egyptian army in the waters. There was water and food provided every morning.
Moses re-educated an entire generation of people who forgot who they were. He told them their God is the God of the universe who created the heavens and the earth, who created them, who created marriage. He gave them moral law—the first five commandments about relationship with God, then with each other. He took them through marital law, civil law, common law. He placed this law in the center of the community where 3 to 5 million people lived together for 40 years without a police force or standing army.
This is where America's founders got their understanding of the republic. They saw Jethro tell Moses to appoint godly men over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens—federal, state, county, and local government. The psalmist said the Lord is our king, our judge, and our lawgiver—executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The number one book the founders quoted was Deuteronomy. They developed the principle that from moral law comes civil law—the wise restraints that make men free.
This is what Kirk was doing—re-educating America, telling young people who had been enslaved in indoctrination camps at universities across America that this isn't a pro-slavery white man's thing. This is the freest form of government ever designed on the face of the earth, and only a moral and religious people can govern it. He awakened them to the importance of protecting freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and they loved him for it. Then they killed him.
Joshua Leading Into the Promised Land
McCoy finds hope in Joshua 1:1-3. For 40 years, the Israelites relied on Moses, who gave them a brand new identity. They'd wake up and see Moses walk, and the pillar of fire would travel with him and the cloud would follow. This man was everything, like Kirk was to his movement. For 30 days after Moses died, they were lost.
Then God said to Joshua, "Moses my servant is dead. Now, you've served him and you've appointed the 12 tribes and the 70 elders. You take the ark of the covenant with the priests and you're going to cross the Jordan and you're going to take them into the promised land." Kirk got these young people out of slavery. He brought them out. But now this entire movement of young people, like Joshua was moved by Moses, they're going to take all these people into the promised land.
The promised land isn't heaven. The promised land is a place where these young people, 18 to 30 years old, can own property, build a home, raise a family and have kids, have meaningful employment, but more importantly, worship God freely. This is what pastors now have to realize. Kirk brought them out of slavery. Now pastors have to step up and do their job. They've truncated the gospel and separated their responsibility in the public square.
Kirk reidentified these young people. Pastors were living in a moral society, watched it become immoral, and were losing an entire generation. Kirk brought them back in. Now pastors need to take them into the place where they can flourish by stepping into the public square, educating them, and discipling them. That's what Kirk did—he wasn't into making converts, he made disciples.
